Figure 2
The process of atrial and ventricular pericardial adipose tissue measurement via autopsy. Steps 1) Removal of heart with pulmonary veins, pulmonary artery and part of trachea, 2) Pericardium incised along the atrio-ventricular (AV) groove and was peeled off inferiorly to the ventricular apex to harvest paracardiac ventricular adipose tissue and superiorly to harvest atrial paracardiac adipose tissue, 3) Posterior view of the heart after removal of paracardiac adipose tissue, with epicardial atrial adipose tissue visible posterior (adjacent to posterior LA wall) and laterally along the AV groove, 4) Anterior view of the heart with atrial and ventricular paracardiac adipose tissue to the left. Atrial paracardiac adipose tissue was located between the appendages and the great vessels, with little fat deposition on the appendages, 5) Posterior view of the heart after dissecting the majority of epicardial adipose tissue.