Catheter ablation approach targeting epicardial connections to the right pulmonary vein antrum detected before pulmonary vein isolation.

Background: Epicardial connections from surrounding structures to the right pulmonary vein (PV) antrum impede PV isolation.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an ablation approach targeting epicardial connections for right PV isolation.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 124 patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing initial PV isolation.

Characteristics of radiofrequency lesions in patients with symptomatic periesophageal vagal nerve injury after pulmonary vein isolation.

Background: Periesophageal vagal nerve injury (PNI) is an unpredictable and serious complication of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. We aimed to identify the factors associated with symptomatic PNI.

Methods: This study included 1391 patients who underwent ablation index-guided pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the CARTO system.

Narrow QRS ectopy with concealed connections from a para-Hisian origin to the proximal left fascicles.

Introduction: Catheter ablation of ectopy originating from the vicinity of the His bundle can be challenging.

Methods And Results: We report a case of a 33-year-old man with narrow QRS ectopy with preferential conduction from a para-Hisian origin to the proximal left fascicles, which was successfully eliminated by radiofrequency ablation in the right coronary cusp, guided by ultrahigh-resolution mapping of the His bundle, bundle branch, and fascicular electrograms.

Conclusion: Some narrow QRS ectopy may originate from the vicinity of the conduction system, instead of the "true" conduction system, and have concealed connections from its origin to the conduction system.

The optimal slow pathway ablation site in atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia cases with an inferiorly located His bundle.

Introduction: The optimal slow pathway (SP) ablation site in cases with an inferiorly located His bundle (HIS) remains unclear.

Methods And Results: In 45 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, the relationship between the HIS location and successful SP ablation site was assessed in electroanatomical maps. We assessed the location of the SP ablation site relative to the bottom of the coronary sinus ostium in the superior-to-inferior (SPSI), anterior-to-posterior (SPAP), and right-to-left (SPRL) directions.

[Surgical Treatment of the Perforation of the Right Ventricle and Diaphragm by a Permanent Pacing Lead:Report of a Case].

An 97-year-old woman was diagnosed with complete atrioventricular block and underwent pacemaker implantation( PMI). Three days after the PMI, computed tomography revealed cardiac perforation and migration of the lead to the abdominal cavity. Surgical procedure through median sternotomy was performed, and the penetrated lead was removed.

Incidence, distribution, and electrogram characteristics of endocardial-epicardial connections identified by ultra-high-resolution mapping during a left atrial posterior wall isolation of atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: The left atrial posterior wall (LAPW) can be a target for atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation but is sometimes difficult to completely isolate due to the presence of endocardial-epicardial connections. We aimed to investigate the incidence and distribution of epicardial residual connections (epi-RCs) and the electrogram characteristics at epi-RC sites during an initial LAPW isolation.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 102 AF patients who underwent LAPW mapping before and after a first-pass linear ablation along the superior and inferior LAPW (pre-ablation and post-ablation maps) using an ultra-high-resolution mapping system (Rhythmia, Boston Scientific).

Ethanol infusion therapy for peri-mitral atrial tachycardia through the Marshall bundle with electrical irrelevance of left atrial appendage and mitral isthmus.

A 62-year-old man with a history of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and atrial tachycardia (AT) received a line of block of the mitral isthmus (MI) and electrical isolation of the left atrial appendage (LAA). Upon entrainment pacing, AT recurred and was diagnosed as peri-mitral AT (PMAT) with electrical irrelevance of MI, LAA, and left pulmonary vein, having a critical isthmus identified as Marshall bundle (MB). MB was then infused with ethanol, leading to the successful treatment of the PMAT.

Noncontact Charge Density Mapping-Guided Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation With a Multiple Trigger-Based Mechanism.

We present a case of radiofrequency catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) with a trigger-based mechanism, guided by novel noncontact charge density mapping, which resulted in the simultaneous achievement of the termination of AF and complete elimination of multiple triggers that induced repeated recurrences of AF immediately after cardioversion. ().

Intra-septal radiofrequency ablation within the transseptal puncture hole targeting an interatrial connection during a bi-atrial tachycardia.

A 74-year-old man after multiple mitral valve surgeries underwent catheter ablation of a bi-atrial tachycardia (BiAT). Ultra-high resolution activation mapping exhibited a reentrant circuit propagating around the inferior to anterior mitral annulus and right atrial (RA) septum with two interatrial connections. At the transeptal puncture site, continuous fractionated electrograms were recorded during the BiAT, and entrainment pacing revealed a post-pacing interval similar to the tachycardia cycle length, which suggested that the interatrial conduction from the RA to the left atrium (LA) was located just at the transseptal puncture site.

Unusual QRS complexes associated with the simultaneous presence of a right-sided accessory pathway, fasciculoventricular pathway, and incomplete right bundle branch block.

Unlabelled: A 52-year-old man presented with delta waves on a body surface electrocardiogram, which suggested the presence of a right-sided accessory pathway (AP). Patients with right-sided APs generally have an rS pattern in leads V1-2, while he had an rS in lead V1 but an Rs in lead V2, which could not rule out the possibility of the presence of a septal AP or fasciculoventricular pathway (FVP). On the other hand, patients with septal APs or FVPs generally have a QS pattern in lead V1 instead of an rS pattern.

Bilateral Cardiac Sympathetic Denervation for Treatment-Resistant Ventricular Arrhythmias in Heart Failure Patients with a Reduced Ejection Fraction.

The sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation (BCSD) is performed for refractory VAs. We sought to assess our institutional experience with BCSD in managing treatment-resistant monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (MMVT) in heart failure patients with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).

A confluent non-enhanced dark core on serial late gadolinium enhancement imaging after a moderator band-ventricular tachycardia ablation.

A 77-year-old man underwent radiofrequency catheter ablation of incessant ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) originating from the right ventricular (RV) moderator band (MB). Activation mapping during the VAs exhibited a centrifugal pattern with the earliest activation site (EAS) on the RV septum. A local impedance (LI)-guided radiofrequency application targeting the EAS with a maximum power output of 50W successfully eliminated the VAs and resulted in an LI drop of up to 35 Ω.

Antiphospholipid Syndrome Diagnosed as a Result of the Occurrence of an Ischemic Stroke After a Successful Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation and Continuous Direct Oral Anticoagulants.

We report a case of an ischemic stroke after a successful catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and continuous oral anticoagulation therapy with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), which was the trigger for diagnosing antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). A 68-year-old woman underwent catheter ablation of persistent AF and continued oral anticoagulation with edoxaban at a dose of 30 mg once daily after the ablation procedure. An asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was detected by brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging one month post-ablation.

Intra-carina reentrant atrial tachycardia after pulmonary vein isolation of atrial fibrillation.

A 77-year-old man underwent catheter ablation of an atrial tachycardia (AT) after a pulmonary vein (PV) isolation of atrial fibrillation. The AT appeared to be a figure-of-eight reentrant AT by high-resolution mapping: one reentrant circuit rotated clockwise within the right PV (RPV) carina and the other rotated counterclockwise via two conduction gaps along the previous RPV isolation line. However, entrainment pacing from the carina and conduction gaps suggested that the AT was an intra-carina localized reentrant AT with a passive loop around the anterior RPV isolation line via those gaps.

Symptomatic and asymptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages detected by magnetic resonance imaging after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Purpose: Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages (ICHs) are a rare complication after atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation, while the incidence of asymptomatic ICHs detected by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, characteristics, and predictors of new-onset ICHs on MR imaging after AF ablation.

Methods: We retrospectively studied 1257 consecutive AF ablation procedures in 1201 patients who underwent MR imaging on the day after the procedure.