ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS AND RESULTS OF INTERVENTIONAL TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL TACHYCARDIA AND ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ORIGINATING FROM PULMONARY VEINS

To study electrophysiological mechanisms and assess early and late outcomes of interventional treatment in patients with atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the pulmonary vein (PV) ostia and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), 100 patients were examined. The study group consisted of 60 patients aged 43.5±12.19 years (16 65 years), 33 men (55%) and 27 women (45%), including 2 pediatric patients under 18 years (3.3%), with ectopic AT from PV. The arrhythmic history was 5.7±4.3 years (0.5 20 years). In the study group, 64 procedures were performed (1.06±0.06 patients per 1 patient). The control group consisted of 40 patients with paroxysmal AF due to the chaotic activity of PV aged 48.1±11.9 years (16 72 years), 32 men (80%) and 8 women (20%), including 1 pediatric patient under 18 years (2.5%). The arrhythmic history was 6.2±6.5 years. In the control group, 50 procedures were made (1.25±0.07 procedures per 1 patient). The transseptal puncture was performed in all patients for access to the left atrium (LA). Electrophysiological properties of the PV muscular muffs as well as the LV arrhythmogenicity were studied. For this purpose, 20 polar Lasso catheter was positioned in the PV ostium, and the PV spikes were recorded. The duration of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was 15.1±10.5 min (9- 30 min) for one PV. After RFA of ostia of all PVs, their electrophysiological properties were compared (effective and functional refractory periods, probability of AF induction in an isolated PV, fragmented activity, duration of impulse conduction in PV) and repetitive PV angiography was performed to reveal their stenosis. The outcomes of RFA were assessed in the early, intermediate, and late post-intervention periods. In the early post-intervention period, the effectiveness in both groups was 100%; at discharge, all patients had the sinus rhythm and received antiarrhythmic and anticoagulant therapy discontinued 3 months later. Six months after the intervention, the AT recurrence was documented in 4 patients (6.6%) which required an additional interventional procedure. In the control group, recurrence of arrhythmia was revealed in 10 patients (25%). In the late post-intervention period (39.1±9.5 months), the overall effectiveness in patients with AT, taking repetitive procedures into the account, was 100%, as compared with 87% in the AF group. Thus, computed tomography of LA and PV, 12 canal Holter monitoring, and non-invasive electrophysiological mapping in the pre-intervention period permit one to reveal peculiar features of the LA and PV structure with a high accuracy. The tachycardia recurrence in the control group (25%), with two or more PVs being source of automaticity, are revealed significantly more frequently than in the study group (6.6%), where a single ectopic focus was predominantly a source of automaticity. The radiofrequency PV ostia isolation is a highly effective method of treatment of patients with ectopic AT originating from PV ostia and paroxysmal AF.

ectopic left atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, left atrium, pulmonary veins, spiral computed tomography, radiofrequency catheter ablation

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