Left ventricular apical akinetic aneurysmatic area associated with permanent right ventricular apical pacing for advanced atrioventricular block: clinical characteristics and long-term outcome.

Background: Right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing can induce left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony and dysfunction. In this article, we describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcome in a subset of patients with unrecognized LV apical akinetic aneurysmatic area associated with permanent RVA pacing as potential causes of heart failure (HF) and/or ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT).

Methods And Results: We retrospectively studied 220 patients with permanent RVA pacing and no pre-existing structural heart disease in our follow-up clinic for high-degree atrioventricular block.

Interatrial mechanical dyssynchrony worsened atrial mechanical function in sinus node disease with or without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Atrial electromechanical dysfunction might contribute to the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with sinus node disease (SND). The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and impact of atrial mechanical dyssynchrony on atrial function in SND patients with or without paroxysmal AF.

Methods: We performed echocardiographic examination with tissue Doppler imaging in 30 SND patients with (n = 11) or without (n = 19) paroxysmal AF who received dual-chamber pacemakers.

The incremental benefit of rate-adaptive pacing on exercise performance during cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of using rate-adaptive pacing and atrioventricular interval (AVI) adaptation on exercise performance during cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Background: The potential incremental benefits of using rate-adaptive pacing and AVI adaptation with CRT during exercise have not been studied.

Methods: We studied 20 patients with heart failure, chronotropic incompetence (<85% age-predicted heart rate [AP-HR] and <80% HR reserve), and implanted with CRT.

Effects of temporal application parameters on lesion dimensions during transvenous catheter cryoablation.

Unlabelled: Lesion dimension of cryoablation.

Background: Transvenous catheter cryoablation is a novel technique for treating cardiac arrhythmias. However, the relative importance of temporal application parameters on lesion dimension and clinical efficacy has not been studied.

Clinical characteristics of and long-term outcome in Chinese patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Data on the phenotypical pattern and natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Chinese patients are very limited. The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of and long-term outcome in Chinese patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Methods: We evaluated 118 Chinese patients (62 male) who were diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at Queen Mary Hospital from 1973 to 2002.

Atrial tachycardia arising from an epicardial site with venous connection between the left superior pulmonary vein and superior vena cava.

We describe a case of atrial tachycardia originating from an epicardial site with a venous connection between the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) and superior vena cava (SVC). Initial endocardial mapping with multiple electrodes catheters demonstrated early endocardial activation at both the SVC and LSPV. However, radiofrequency applications at the SVC failed to terminate the atrial tachycardia.

Nonfluoroscopic magnetic electroanatomic mapping to facilitate focal pulmonary veins ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

RF ablation of ectopic foci in the pulmonary veins (PVs) is a promising treatment for patients with paroxysmal AF. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using nonfluoroscopic magnetic electroanatomic mapping of PV during spontaneous or induced ectopy to facilitate focal ablation procedure. The study included 35 patients with drug refractory paroxysmal AF who underwent focal RF ablation of the PV.