Change in QRS morphology as a marker of spontaneous elimination in verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND: Verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia (verapamil-ILVT) is thought to be due to a reentry within the LV fascicular system. Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is effective for elimination of the VT; however, a long-term prognosis of patients with verapamil-ILVT is still unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty consecutive verapamil-ILVT patients (62 men, 31 ± 12 years of age, LVEF: 65 ± 4%) were enrolled. Seventy-six (95%) cases of VT involved right bundle branch block and left axis deviation. We retrospectively analyzed changes in the QRS duration (ΔQRS-d) and QRS axis (ΔQRS-axis) during follow-up and compared them with recurrence of VT. During a mean follow-up period of 10 years (2-32 years), no sudden death or heart failure occurred. Fifty-one (64%) patients underwent RFCA, and 46 (90%) of them had no VT without any medication after RFCA. The ΔQRS-d (16 ± 2 vs. 8 ± 1 ms, P = 0.24) and ΔQRS-axis (20 ± 4 vs. 4 ± 3 degrees, P = 0.23) were not different in patients with no VT (VT[-]) and those with recurrence of VT (VT[+]). However, in the remaining 29 patients without RFCA, VT was spontaneously eliminated in 16 patients. The ΔQRS-d (30 ± 6 vs. 6 ± 1 ms, P = 0.002) and ΔQRS-axis (23 ± 4 vs. 5 ± 2 degrees, P = 0.001) were significantly larger in VT(-) patients compared to VT(+) patients during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Some verapamil-ILVT patients who show QRS morphology changes over the follow-up period may become free from VT without any invasive or pharmacological treatments, suggesting that further altered LV fascicular conduction might eliminate the reentry of verapamil-ILVT.

Clinical outcome of patients with the Brugada type 1 electrocardiogram without prophylactic implantable cardioverter defibrillator in primary prevention: a cumulative analysis of seven large prospective studies.

Aims: Patients with the Brugada type 1 ECG (Br type 1) without previous aborted sudden death (aSD) who do not have a prophylactic ICD constitute a very large population whose outcome is little known. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of SD or aborted SD (aSD) in these patients. Methods and results: We conducted a meta-analysis and cumulative analysis of seven large prospective studies involving 1568 patients who had not received a prophylactic ICD in primary prevention. Patients proved to be heterogeneous. Many were theoretically at low risk, in that they had a drug-induced Br type 1 (48%) and/or were asymptomatic (87%), Others, in contrast, had one or more risk factors. During a mean/median follow-up ranging from 30 to 48 months, 23 patients suffered SD and 1 had aSD. The annual incidence of SD/aSD was 0.5% in the total population, 0.9% in patients with spontaneous Br type 1 and 0.08% in those with drug-induced Br type 1 (P = 0.0001). The paper by Brugada et al. reported an incidence of SD more than six times higher than the other studies, probably as a result of selection bias. On excluding this paper, the annual incidence of SD/aSD in the remaining 1198 patients fell to 0.22% in the total population and to 0.38 and 0.06% in spontaneous and drug-induced Br type 1, respectively. Of the 24 patients with SD/aSD, 96% were males, the mean age was 39 ± 15 years, 92% had spontaneous Br type 1, 61% had familial SD (f-SD), and only 18.2% had a previous syncope; 43% had a positive electrophysiological study. Multiple meta-analysis of individual trials showed that spontaneous Br type 1, f-SD, and previous syncope increased the risk of SD/aSD (RR 2.83, 2.49, and 3.03, respectively). However, each of these three risk factors had a very low positive predictive value (PPV) (1.9-3.3%), while negative predictive values (NPV) were high (98.5-99.7%). The incidence of SD/aSD was only slightly higher in patients with syncope than in asymptomatic patients (2% vs. 1.5%, P = 0.6124). Patients with SD/aSD when compared with the others had a mean of 1.74 vs. 0.95 risk factors (P = 0.026). Conclusion: (i) In patients with Br type 1 ECG without an ICD in primary prevention, the risk of SD/aSD is low, particularly in those with drug-induced Br type 1; (ii) spontaneous Br type 1, f-SD, and syncope increase the risk. However, each of these risk factors individually has limited clinical usefulness, owing to their very low PPV; (iii) patients at highest risk are those with more than one risk factor.

Differences in the onset mode of ventricular tachyarrhythmia between patients with J wave in anterior leads and those with J wave in inferolateral leads.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiological mechanism of J wave in anterior leads (A-leads) and inferolateral leads (L-leads) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the onset mode and circadian distribution of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VTA) episodes between patients with early repolarization syndrome (ERS) and Brugada syndrome (BrS). METHODS: The study enrolled 35 patients with ERS and 52 patients with type 1 BrS with spontaneous ventricular fibrillation who were divided into 4 groups: ERS(A+L) (n = 15), patients with ERS who had a non-type 1 Brugada pattern electrocardiogram in any A-leads (second to fourth intercostal spaces) in control and/or after drug provocation tests; ERS(L) (n = 20), patients with ERS with J wave only in L-leads; BrS(A) (n = 24), patients with BrS without J wave in L-leads; and BrS(A+L) (n = 28), patients with BrS with J wave in L-leads. The onset mode of 206 VTAs obtained from electrocardiograms or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and the circadian distribution of 352 VTAs were investigated in the 4 groups. RESULTS: Three groups with J wave in A-leads, ERS(A+L), BrS(A), and BrS(A+L), had higher incidences of nocturnal (63%, 43%, and 47%, respectively) and sudden onset VTAs (67%, 97%, and 86%, respectively) with longer coupling intervals of premature ventricular contractions (388.8, 397.3, and 385.6 ms, respectively) than the ERS(L) group with J wave only in L-leads (25%, P = .0019; 19%, P < .0001; and 330.6 ms, P = .0004, respectively), the last of which mainly displayed VTAs with a short-long-short sequence. CONCLUSION: The onset mode of VTAs was different between patients with J wave in A-leads and patients with J wave in only L-leads. The underlying mechanism of J wave may differ between A-leads and L-leads.

Larger low voltage zone in endocardial unipolar map compared with that in epicardial bipolar map indicates difficulty in eliminating ventricular tachycardia by catheter ablation.

Patients with ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathy often have substrate for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in the endocardium (ENDO), epicardium (EPI), and/or intramural. Although it has been reported that the ENDO unipolar (UNI) voltage map is useful in detecting EPI substrate, its feasibility to detect intramural scarring and its usefulness in radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) remain unclear. To assess the relationship between the left ventricle (LV) ENDO UNI voltage map and the LV EPI bipolar (BIP) voltage map, and to determine the usefulness of the ENDO UNI voltage map to guide RFCA for VT in patients with cardiomyopathy undergoing combined ENDO- and EPI RFCA. Eleven patients with VT undergoing detailed ENDO and EPI electroanatomical mapping of the LV were included (mean age 59 ± 11 years, 9 men). We assessed the value of the LV ENDO UNI voltage map in identifying EPI and/or intramural substrate in these 11 patients with non-ischemic or ischemic cardiomyopathy. The underlying heart disease was dilated cardiomyopathy in 4 patients, cardiac sarcoidosis in 3, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2, and ischemic heart disease in 2 patients. The mean LV ejection fraction was 24 ± 7 %. The low voltage zone (LVZ) was defined as <1.5 mV for LV ENDO BIP electrograms (EGMs), <8.3 mV for LV ENDO UNI EGMs, and <1.0 mV for LV EPI BIP EGMs. The surface area of each LVZ was measured. We also measured the LVZ of the spatial overlap between ENDO UNI and EPI BIP voltage maps using the transparency mode on CARTO software. We performed RFCA at the ENDO and EPI based on activation and/or substrate maps, targeting the LVZ and/or abnormal EGMs. The LVZ was present in the LV ENDO BIP voltage map in 10 of 11 patients (42 ± 33 cm(2)), and in the LV ENDO UNI voltage map in 10 of 11 patients (72 ± 45 cm(2)). The LVZ was present in the EPI BIP voltage map in 9 of 11 patients (70 ± 61 cm(2)), and the LVZ in the ENDO UNI voltage map was also seen in all 9 patients. The location of the LVZ in the EPI BIP map matched that in 45 ± 28 % of ENDO UNI voltage maps. The LVZ in the ENDO UNI voltage map was larger than that in the EPI BIP voltage map in 6 of 11 patients, and RFCA failed in 5 of these 6 patients. In the remaining 5 patients with a smaller LVZ in the ENDO UNI voltage map compared with the EPI BIP voltage map or no LVZ both at ENDO UNI and EPI BIP voltage map, VT was successfully eliminated in 4 of 5 patients. The LV ENDO UNI voltage map is useful in detecting EPI substrate in patients with cardiomyopathy. A larger LVZ in the ENDO UNI voltage map compared to that in the EPI BIP voltage map may indicate the presence of intramural substrate, which leads to difficulty in eliminating VT, even with combined ENDO- and EPI RFCA.

Significance of electrocardiogram recording in high intercostal spaces in patients with early repolarization syndrome.

AIMS: Published reports regarding inferolateral early repolarization (ER) syndrome (ERS) before 2013 possibly included patients with Brugada-pattern electrocardiogram (BrP-ECG) recorded only in the high intercostal spaces (HICS). We investigated the significance of HICS ECG recording in ERS patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fifty-six patients showing inferolateral ER in the standard ECG and spontaneous ventricular fibrillation (VF) not linked to structural heart disease underwent drug provocation tests by sodium channel blockade with right precordial ECG (V1-V3) recording in the 2nd-4th intercostal spaces. The prevalence and long-term outcome of ERS patients with and without BrP-ECG in HICS were investigated. After 18 patients showing type 1 BrP-ECG in the standard ECG were excluded, 38 patients (34 males, mean age; 40.4 ± 13.6 years) were classified into four groups [group A (n = 6;16%):patients with ER and type 1 BrP-ECG only in HICS, group B (n = 5;13%):ERS with non-type 1 BrP-ECG only in HICS, group C (n = 8;21%):ERS with non-type 1 BrP-ECG in the standard ECG, and group D (n = 19;50%):ERS only, spontaneously or after drug provocation test]. During follow-up of 110.0 ± 55.4 months, the rate of VF recurrence including electrical storm was significantly higher in groups A (4/6:67%), B (4/5:80%), and C (4/8:50%) compared with D (2/19:11%) (A, B, and C vs. D, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 30% of the patients with ERS who had been diagnosed with the previous criteria showed BrP-ECG only in HICS. Ventricular fibrillation mostly recurred in patients showing BrP-ECG in any precordial lead including HICS; these comprised 50% of the ERS cohort.

Efficacy of additional radiofrequency applications for spontaneous dissociated pulmonary vein activity after pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: The aim is to evaluate the efficacy of additional radiofrequency ablation (RFCA) for spontaneous dissociated pulmonary vein activity (DPV-spike) after PV isolation (PVI) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: One hundred fifty-two consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF referred for RFCA were enrolled. When DPV-spike was documented after PVI, we randomly assigned these patients to receive additional RFCA for DPV-spike or only PVI. We divided them into 4 groups: 87 patients without DPV-spike after PVI (No-spike group), 31 without DPV-spike after additional RFCA (Successful group), 8 with remaining DPV-spike after additional RFCA (Unsuccessful group), and 26 with DPV-spike after only PVI (Spike group). AF recurrence was evaluated among the 4 groups. RESULTS: After PVI, DPV-spike was documented in 87 PVs (14%) from 65 patients. During 16 ± 9 months of follow-up, the incidence of the freedom from AF was significantly higher in the No-spike group than that in the Spike group and Unsuccessful group (P < 0.05), and tended to be higher in the Successful group than that in the Spike group and Unsuccessful group (P = 0.08 and 0.11, respectively). In a multivariate analysis, the remaining PV-spike after ablation was an independent predictor of AF recurrence (HR 2.44; CI 1.10-5.43, P < 0.05). No major complications including PV stenosis were observed during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: DPV-spike after PVI may be associated with higher electrical activity within the PVs and may be one of the risk factors for AF recurrence. Additional RFCA for DPV-spike was effective to reduce the AF recurrence after PVI.

Abrupt heart rate fallings in a patient with biventricular pacing: latent risk for exacerbation of heart failure.

This case report describes abrupt heart rate fallings below the lower pacing rate limit in a patient with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Interrogated information including stored episodes or data regarding the lead did not show any device problems and only simultaneous intracardiac electrogram revealed the cause, T-wave oversensing during biventricular pacing. At this moment, CRT has become an established modality for patients with severe heart failure. However, bradycardia below the lower rate limit during biventricular pacing due to T-wave oversensing would exacerbate heart failure in patients with CRT. We should notice this latent risk and correct the malfunction immediately.

Clinical impact of the number of extrastimuli in programmed electrical stimulation in patients with Brugada type 1 electrocardiogram.

BACKGROUND: Use of programmed electrical stimulation (PES) for risk stratification of Brugada syndrome (BrS) is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of the number of extrastimuli during PES in patients with BrS. METHODS: Consecutive 108 patients with type 1 electrocardiogram (104 men, mean age 46 ± 12 years; 26 with ventricular fibrillation [VF], 40 with syncope, and 42 asymptomatic) underwent PES with a maximum of 3 extrastimuli from the right ventricular apex and the right ventricular outflow tract. Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) was defined as VF or nonsustained polymorphic ventricular tachycardia >15 beats. Patients with VA induced by a single extrastimulus or double extrastimuli were assigned to group SD (Single/Double), by triple extrastimuli to group T (Triple), and the remaining patients to group N. RESULTS: VA was induced in 81 patients (VF in 71 and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 10), in 4 by a single extrastimulus, in 41 by double extrastimuli, and in 36 by triple extrastimuli. During 79 ± 48 months of follow-up, 24 patients had VF events. Although the overall inducibility of VA was not associated with an increased risk of VF (log-rank P = .78), group SD had worse prognosis than did group T (P = .004). Kaplan-Meier analysis in patients without prior VF also showed that group SD had poorer outcome than did group T and group N (P = .001). Positive and negative predictive values of VA induction with up to 2 extrastimuli were, respectively, 36% and 87%, better than those with up to 3 (23% and 81%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The number of extrastimuli that induced VA served as a prognostic indicator for patients with Brugada type 1 electrocardiogram. Single extrastimulus or double extrastimuli were adequate for PES of patients with BrS.

Electrocardiographic characteristics and SCN5A mutations in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation associated with early repolarization.

BACKGROUND: Recently, we and others reported that early repolarization (J wave) is associated with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation. However, its clinical and genetic characteristics are unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study included 50 patients (44 men; age, 45 ± 17 years) with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation associated with early repolarization, and 250 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All of the patients had experienced arrhythmia events, and 8 (16%) had a family history of sudden death. Ventricular fibrillation was inducible by programmed electric stimulation in 15 of 29 patients (52%). The heart rate was slower and the PR interval and QRS duration were longer in patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation than in controls. We identified nonsynonymous variants in SCN5A (resulting in A226D, L846R, and R367H) in 3 unrelated patients. These variants occur at residues that are highly conserved across mammals. His-ventricular interval was prolonged in all of the patients carrying an SCN5A mutation. Sodium channel blocker challenge resulted in an augmentation of early repolarization or development of ventricular fibrillation in all of 3 patients, but none was diagnosed with Brugada syndrome. In heterologous expression studies, all of the mutant channels failed to generate any currents. Immunostaining revealed a trafficking defect in A226D channels and normal trafficking in R367H and L846R channels. CONCLUSIONS: We found reductions in heart rate and cardiac conduction and loss-of-function mutations in SCN5A in patients with idiopathic ventricular fibrillation associated with early repolarization. These findings support the hypothesis that decreased sodium current enhances ventricular fibrillation susceptibility.

Electrophysiologic study-guided amiodarone for sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias associated with structural heart diseases.

BACKGROUND: Although an electrophysiologic study (EPS) and Holter-monitoring are often helpful in evaluating the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias (ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation (VT/VF)), the efficacy of EPS- or Holter-guided oral amiodarone therapy in Japanese patients is still unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: EPS was performed 1 month after starting amiodarone, and Holter-monitoring was recorded before and 1 month after amiodarone in 188 patients with sustained VT/VF because of structural heart diseases. In spite of the judgment of EPS (n=89) or Holter (n=75), all patients continued amiodarone. Patients were followed up to 3 years and the primary endpoint was VT/VF recurrence and secondary endpoint was death by all cause. Kaplan-Meier estimated the risk of VT/VF recurrence was significantly smaller with EPS-guided amiodarone (p<0.01) but not with Holter-guided amiodarone. Multivariate Cox hazard analysis revealed that EPS-guided amiodarone was an independent factor suppressing the recurrence of VT/VF (p<0.05, 95% confidence interval =0.15 to 0.96). In the subgroup analysis, EPS-guided amiodarone was effective in patients with relatively well-preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF > or =0.30) but not in patients with lower LVEF (LVEF <0.30). CONCLUSION: EPS-guided amiodarone was useful for preventing recurrence of VT/VF in patients with a relatively well-preserved LVEF, but not always beneficial in patients with a lower LVEF.

Mechanism and new findings in Brugada syndrome.

Brugada syndrome is a clinical entity characterized by coved type ST-segment elevation in the right precordial electrocardiographic leads (V(1-3)) and an episode of ventricular fibrillation in the absence of structural heart disease. Although a number of clinical and experimental reports have elucidated the electrocardiographic, electrophysiologic, cellular, and molecular aspects, several problems remain unsolved. Recently developed high-resolution optical mapping techniques in arterially-perfused wedge preparations enable recording of transmembrane action potentials from 256 sites simultaneously at the epicardial surface, thus providing further advances in the understanding of the cellular mechanism of the specific ST-segment elevation and subsequent ventricular arrhythmias. In this review article, new findings relating to several unresolved problems such as gender difference (male predominance) and ethnic difference (higher incidence in Asian population) are also presented.

Implications of 2:1 atrioventricular block during typical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

OBJECTIVE: The effects of 2:1 AV block (AVB) on AV nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) remain to be elucidated. This study was performed to localize the site of 2:1 AVB and elucidate the effects of 2:1 AVB on typical AVNRT. METHODS: The His bundle (HB) electrograms during typical AVNRT with 2:1 AV block were reviewed in 24 patients. It was hypothesized that if 2:1 AVB at the HB or below changed tachycardia cycle length (TCL), the lower turnaround point of the reentrant circuit (RC) might be located within the HB and parts of the HB might be involved in the RC. RESULTS: A HB potential was absent in blocked beats during 2:1 AVB in four patients (supra-Hisian block), and the maximal amplitude of the HB potential in blocked beats was the same as that in conducted beats in four patients (infra-Hisian block), and was significantly smaller than that in conducted beats (0.1 +/- 0.1 versus 0.5 +/- 0.2 mV, P < 0.05) in 16 patients (intra-Hisian block). Eight patients (33%) with intra-Hisian block had a nearly identical prolongation of the H-A and A-A intervals in blocked beats (12 +/- 3 and 13 +/- 2 ms, respectively) with unchanged A-H intervals, while the remaining 16 patients (67%) exhibited invariable A-A and/or H-A intervals. CONCLUSION: The site of 2:1 AVB during typical AVNRT was estimated to be at the HB or below in 83% of the cases. Two-to-one intra-Hisian block transiently prolonged TCL, possibly indicating involvement of the proximal HB in the RC in one-third of typical the AVNRT cases with 2:1 AVB.

"Left-variant" atypical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia: electrophysiological characteristics and effect of slow pathway ablation within coronary sinus.

INTRODUCTION: Recent anatomical and electrophysiological studies have demonstrated the presence of leftward posterior nodal extension (LPNE); however, its role in the genesis of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is poorly understood. This study was performed to characterize successful slow pathway (SP) ablation site and to elucidate the role of LPNE in genesis of atypical AVNRT with eccentric activation patterns within the coronary sinus (CS). METHODS AND RESULTS: Among 45 patients with atypical AVNRT (slow-slow/fast-slow/both = 20/22/3 patients) with concentric (n = 37, 82%) or eccentric CS activation (n = 8, 18%), successful ablation site was evaluated. Among 35/37 patients (95%) with concentric CS activation, ablation at the conventional SP region outside CS eliminated both retrograde SP conduction and AVNRT inducibility. Among eight patients with eccentric CS activation, the earliest retrograde atrial activation was found at proximal CS 16 +/- 4 mm distal to the ostium during AVNRT. The earliest retrograde activation site was located at inferior to inferoseptal mitral annulus, consistent with the presumed location of LPNE. Ablation at the conventional SP region with electroanatomical approach only rendered AVNRT nonsustained without elimination of retrograde SP conduction in seven of eight patients (88%). Ablation targeted to the earliest retrograde atrial activation site within proximal CS (15 +/- 4 mm distal to the ostium); however, eliminated retrograde SP conduction and rendered AVNRT noninducible in six of eight patients (75%). CONCLUSION: In 75% of "left-variant" atypical AVNRT, ablation within proximal CS was required to eliminate eccentric retrograde SP conduction and render AVNRT noninducible, suggesting LPNE formed retrograde limb of reentrant circuit.

Unique electrophysiologic characteristics of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia with different ventriculoatrial block patterns: effects of slow pathway ablation and insights into the location of the reentrant circuit.

BACKGROUND: The electrophysiologic mechanisms of different ventriculoatrial (VA) block patterns during atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to characterize AVNRTs with different VA block patterns and to assess the effects of slow pathway ablation. METHODS: Electrophysiologic data from six AVNRT patients with different VA block patterns were reviewed. RESULTS: All AVNRTs were induced after a sudden AH "jump-up" with the earliest retrograde atrial activation at the right superoparaseptum. Different VA block patterns comprised Wenckebach His-atrial (HA) block (n = 4), 2:1 HA block (n = 1), and variable HA conduction times during fixed AVNRT cycle length (CL) (n = 1). Wenckebach HA block during AVNRT was preceded by gradual HA interval prolongation with fixed His-His (HH) interval and unchanged atrial activation sequence. AVNRT with 2:1 HA block was induced after slow pathway ablation for slow-slow AVNRT with 1:1 HA conduction, and earliest atrial activation shifted from right inferoparaseptum to superoparaseptum without change in AVNRT CL. The presence of a lower common pathway was suggested by a longer HA interval during ventricular pacing at AVNRT CL than during AVNRT (n = 5) or Wenckebach HA block during ventricular pacing at AVNRT CL (n = 1). In four patients, HA interval during ventricular pacing at AVNRT CL was unusually long (188 +/- 30 ms). Ablations at the right inferoparaseptum rendered AVNRT noninducible in 5 (83%) of 6 patients. CONCLUSION: Most AVNRTs with different VA block patterns were amenable to classic slow pathway ablation. The reentrant circuit could be contained within a functionally protected region around the AV node and posterior nodal extensions, and different VA block patterns resulted from variable conduction at tissues extrinsic to the reentrant circuit.

Assessment of ability of activation mapping by duodecapolar catheter to diagnose complete isthmus block utilizing electroanatomical mapping system.

UNLABELLED: Duodecapolar catheters (DPCs) have been widely used to diagnose isthmus block after ablation in patients with atrial flutters. The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of DPC to diagnose isthmus block utilizing electroanatomical mapping system (CARTO). METHODS: Sixty-two patients with common atrial flutter underwent isthmus ablation during CS pacing while DPC was positioned at lateral wall of RA along tricuspid annulus (TA). When activation sequence of DPC recording changed exclusively counter-clockwise after ablation, or did not even after ablations targeting single potentials on ablation line (Ab-L), only lateral side of Ab-L was remapped using CARTO to assess whether complete block (CB) was established. RESULTS: After ablation, DPC recording suggested CB and incomplete block (ICB) in 53 (85%) and 9 patients (15%), respectively. In 51/53 patients (96%) with CB suggested by DPC recordings, CARTO remap also demonstrated CB, however, in the remaining two patients (4%), demonstrated ICB with residual isthmus conduction that was slow enough to allow wavefront conducting around TA to arrive at distal dipole of DPC earlier, mimicking CB. In 4/9 patients (44%) with ICB suggested by DPC recordings, CARTO remap also demonstrated ICB, however, in the remaining five patients (56%), demonstrated CB with earlier arrival of wavefront traversing posterior wall at just lateral to Ab-L than that conducting around TA, mimicking ICB. Sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of DPC to diagnose CB were 91, 67, 96, and 44%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Mapping using DPC would not be sufficient for diagnosis of CB and ICB.

Mutation site-specific differences in arrhythmic risk and sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation in the LQT1 form of congenital long QT syndrome: multicenter study in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to compare the arrhythmic risk and sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation of mutations located in transmembrane regions and C-terminal regions of the KCNQ1 channel in the LQT1 form of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). BACKGROUND: The LQT1 syndrome is frequently manifested with variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance and is much more sensitive to sympathetic stimulation than the other forms. METHODS: Sixty-six LQT1 patients (27 families) with a total of 19 transmembrane mutations and 29 patients (10 families) with 8 C-terminal mutations were enrolled from five Japanese institutes. RESULTS: Patients with transmembrane mutations were more frequently affected based on electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnostic criteria (82% vs. 24%, p < 0.0001) and had more frequent LQTS-related cardiac events (all cardiac events: 55% vs. 21%, p = 0.002; syncope: 55% vs. 21%, p = 0.002; aborted cardiac arrest or unexpected sudden cardiac death: 15% vs. 0%, p = 0.03) than those with C-terminal mutations. Patients with transmembrane mutations had a greater risk of first cardiac events occurring at an earlier age, with a hazard ratio of 3.4 (p = 0.006) and with an 8% increase in risk per 10-ms increase in corrected Q-Tend. The baseline ECG parameters, including Q-Tend, Q-Tpeak, and Tpeak-end intervals, were significantly greater in patients with transmembrane mutations than in those with C-terminal mutations (p < 0.005). Moreover, the corrected Q-Tend and Tpeak-end were more prominently increased with exercise in patients with transmembrane mutations (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter Japanese population, LQT1 patients with transmembrane mutations are at higher risk of congenital LQTS-related cardiac events and have greater sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation, as compared with patients with C-terminal mutations.

Shifting of puncture site in the fossa ovalis during radiofrequency catheter ablation: intracardiac echocardiography-guided transseptal left heart catheterization.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) serves as an adjunct to fluoroscopy for electrophysiological procedures by identifying critical anatomic landmarks and confirming catheter-endocardial contact. In the present study, we investigated the usefulness of ICE for radiofrequency catheter ablation. ICE was utilized to guide transseptal puncture in 19 patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation. The fossa ovalis, which was one critical anatomic landmark, had an average vertical diameter of 18.5 +/- 6.9 mm and an average horizontal diameter of 10.0 +/- 2.4 mm, as measured by ICE and fluoroscopy. Although there was only a small shift of the puncture site in the horizontal direction, the puncture site shifted towards the upper edge of the fossa ovalis for 17 patients (89%). Furthermore, we could verify that the distance between the apex of the tent-shape formed by the pressure of the puncture needle in the fossa ovalis and the left atrial wall opposing it was sufficient to carry out the procedure safely. Confirming the puncture site using ICE is useful in carrying out transseptal left heart catheterization safely.

Electrophysiologic characteristics and implications of induced ventricular fibrillation in symptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The study examined the electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic characteristics in relation to programmed ventricular stimulation (PVS)-induced ventricular fibrillation (VF), as well as the implications of PVS-induced VF on the recurrence of cardiac events in symptomatic Brugada syndrome. BACKGROUND: Brugada syndrome is characterized by ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads (V(1)-V(3)) and an episode of VF. METHODS: Thirty-four symptomatic patients with Brugada syndrome (33 men and 1 woman; 44 +/- 12 years old) were classified into two groups according to the inducibility of VF with PVS: 22 patients with induced VF requiring direct cardioversion for termination (Induced VF group) and 12 patients without induced VF (Noninduced VF group). RESULTS: The induced VF group showed a longer QRS duration, a higher incidence of right bundle branch block and late potentials detected on the signal-averaged electrocardiogram, longer His-ventricular intervals and a longer conduction time from the RVOT to the left ventricle at extrastimulation than those in the non-induced VF group. However, there was no significant difference in the recurrence of cardiac events (VF documented by an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and sudden cardiac death) between the two groups (8 [36%] of 22 patients vs. 7 [58%] of 12 patients) during long-term follow-up (range 1 to 149 months; mean 38). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that induction of VF by PVS depends on the severity of depolarization abnormalities but does not predict the recurrence of cardiac events in symptomatic Brugada syndrome, indicating that both depolarization and repolarization abnormalities are important in the development of VF.

Change in morphology of reentrant atrial arrhythmias without termination following radiofrequency catheter ablation.

A 60-year-old woman who had previously undergone an atrial septal defect repair and had type I atrial flutter underwent electrophysiological study. After radiofrequency (RF) ablation to the isthmus between the inferior vena cava and the tricuspid annulus, type I atrial flutter was changed to atrial tachycardia following atriotomy without termination. This atrial tachycardia was eliminated by single-site RF ablation of a small lesion below the caudal end of the atriotomy scar, where continuous and fragmented potentials were recorded during tachycardia. We experienced a rare case in which RF energy changed tachycardia circuits.