What is the mechanism of this post ablation atrial flutter "recurrence"?

We present the case of a patient with typical atrial flutter treated with radiofrequency ablation of the cavo-tricuspid isthmus, which presented 5 days later with an ECG suggesting an atrial flutter recurrence. However, careful analysis of this ECG demonstrated a potentially different mechanism of the arrhythmia, underlying the importance of a pragmatic approach to ECG interpretation of arrhythmias. A secondary electrophysiological study was performed diagnosing a focal atrial tachycardia with origin at the coronary sinus ostium, in the presence of a blocked cavotricuspid isthmus.

Inappropriate sinus tachycardia or…something else?

We report the case of a 45-year old female patient with a past medical history of rheumatoid arthritis who presented to our cardiology department with a suspicion of inappropriate sinus tachycardia. Echocardiography showed a nondilated left ventricle with a preserved ejection fraction. A careful reinterpretation of her 12-lead ECG reoriented the diagnosis toward an incessant atrial tachycardia.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance: contribution to the exploration of cardiomyopathies.

Background And Aims: Magnetic resonance imaging is a non-invasive and non-irradiating imaging method, complementary to cardiac ultrasound in the assessment of cardiovascular disease and implicitly of cardiomyopathies. Although it is not a first intention imaging method, it is superior in the assessment of cardiac volumes, left ventricular ejection fraction, in the analysis of cardiac wall dyskinesia and myocardial tissue characteristics with and without using a contrast agent. The purpose of this paper is to review the current knowledge regarding cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and its applications in cardiomyopathy analysis.

Intravascular pulmonary venous ultrasound imaging for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. The development of electroanatomical mapping is an increase demand for advanced intracardiac imaging techniques of the left atrium and pulmonary veins. IVUS can demonstrate quantitative changes like lumen and wall thickness as well as qualitative changes of the pulmonary wall.