Reentrant Circuit (reentrant + circuit)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Different Forms of Ventricular Tachycardia Involving the Left Anterior Fascicle in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy: Critical Sites of the Reentrant Circuit in Low-Voltage Areas

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2009
CHRISTOPHER REITHMANN M.D.
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the reentrant circuit of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) involving the left anterior fascicle (LAF) in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results: Six patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy presented with VTs involving the LAF. Potentials in the diastolic or presystolic phase of the VT were identified close to the LAF in 3 patients and in the mid or inferior left ventricular (LV) septum in 3 patients. Superimposed on a CARTO or NavX 3-dimensional voltage map, the diastolic and presystolic potentials were recorded within or at the border of a low-voltage zone in the LV septum in all cases. In 2 patients, both left bundle fascicles participated in the reentrant circuit including a possible interfascicular VT in one case. Ablation targeting the diastolic or presystolic potentials near the LAF or in the midinferior LV septum eliminated the VTs in all patients with the occurrence of a left posterior fascicular block and the delayed occurrence of a complete atrioventricular block in each one patient. During the follow-up of 23 ± 20 months after ablation, 4 patients were free of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Due to detoriation of heart failure, one patient died after 12 months and one patient underwent heart transplantation after 40 months. Conclusions: Slow conduction in diseased myocardium close to the LAF or in the middle and inferior aspects of the LV septum may represent the diastolic pathway of VT involving the LAF. [source]


Quantitative Analysis of the Duration of Slow Conduction in the Reentrant Circuit of Ventricular Tachycardia After Myocardial Infarction

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
YI-GANG LI M.D.
Background: Few data are available to define the circuits in ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction and the conduction time (CT) through the zone of slow conduction (SCZ). This study assessed the CT of the SCZ and identified different reentrant circuits. Methods: During VTs, concealed entrainment (CE) was attempted. The SCZ was identified by a difference between postpacing interval (PPI) and VT cycle length (VTcl) ,30 ms. Since the CT in the normally conducting part of the VT circuit is constant during VT and CE, a CE site within the reentrant circuit with (S-QRS)/PPI , 50% was classified as an inner reentry in which the entire circuit was within the scar, and a CE site with (S-QRS)/PPI < 50% as a common reentry in which part of the circuit was within the scar and part out of the scar. Results: CE was achieved in 20 VTs (12 patients). Six VTs (30%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI ,50% were classified as inner reentry and 14 VTs (70%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI <50% during CE mapping as common reentry. The EG-QRS interval (308 ± 73 ms vs 109 ± 59 ms, P < 0.0001) was significantly longer and the incidence of systolic potentials higher (4/6 vs 0/12, P < 0.001) in the inner reentry group. For the 14 VTs with a common reetry, the CT of the SCZ was 348 ± 73 ms, while the CT in the normal area was 135 ± 50 ms. Conclusion: According to the proposed classification, 30% of VTs after myocardial infarction had an entire reentrant circuit within the scar. In VTs with a common reentrant circuit, the CT of the SCZ is approximately four times longer than the CT in the normal area, accounting for more than 70% of VTcl. [source]


Is the Fascicle of Left Bundle Branch Involved in the Reentrant Circuit of Verapamil-Sensitive Idiopathic Left Ventricular Tachycardia?

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2003
JEN-YUAN KUO
The exact reentrant circuit of the verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left VT with a RBBB configuration remains unclear. Furthermore, if the fascicle of left bundle branch is involved in the reentrant circuit has not been well studied. Forty-nine patients with verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left VT underwent electrophysiological study and RF catheter ablation. Group I included 11 patients (10 men, 1 woman; mean age 25 ± 8 years) with left anterior fascicular block (4 patients), or left posterior fascicular block (7 patients) during sinus rhythm. Group II included 38 patients (29 men, 9 women; mean age 35 ± 16 years) without fascicular block during sinus rhythm. Duration of QRS complex during sinus rhythm before RF catheter ablation in group I patients was significant longer than that of group II patients (104 ± 12 vs 95 ± 11 ms, respectively, P = 0.02). Duration of QRS complex during VT was similar between group I and group II patients (141 ± 13 vs 140 ± 14 ms, respectively, P = 0.78). Transitional zones of QRS complexes in the precordial leads during VT were similar between group I and group II patients. After ablation, the QRS duration did not prolong in group I or group II patients (104 ± 11 vs 95 ± 10 ms, P = 0.02); fascicular block did not occur in group II patients. Duration and transitional zone of QRS complex during VT were similar between the two groups, and new fascicular block did not occur after ablation. These findings suggest the fascicle of left bundle branch may be not involved in the antegrade limb of reentry circuit in idiopathic left VT. (PACE 2003; 26:1986,1992) [source]


Relationship of Specific Electrogram Characteristics During Sinus Rhythm and Ventricular Pacing Determined by Adaptive Template Matching to the Location of Functional Reentrant Circuits that Cause Ventricular Tachycardia in the Infarcted Canine Heart

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
EDWARD J. CIACCIO Ph.D.
Localization of Reentrant Circuits. Introduction: It would be advantageous, for ablation therapy, to localize reentrant circuits causing ventricular tachycardia by quantifying electrograms obtained during sinus rhythm (SR) or ventricular pacing (VP). In this study, adaptive template matching (ATM) was used to localize reentrant circuits by measuring dynamic electrogram shape using SR and VP data. Methods and Results: Four days after coronary occlusion, reentrant ventricular tachycardia was induced in the epicardial border zone of canine hearts by programmed electrical stimulation. Activation maps of circuits were constructed using electrograms recorded from a multichannel array to ascertain block line location. Electrogram recordings obtained during SR/AP then were used for ATM analysis. A template electrogram was matched with electrograms on subsequent cycles by weighting amplitude, vertical shift, duration, and phase lag for optimal overlap. Sites of largest cycle-to-cycle variance in the optimal ATM weights were found to be adjacent to block lines bounding the central isthmus during reentry (mean 61.1% during SR; 63.9% during VP). The distance between the mean center of mass of the ten highest ATM variance peaks and the narrowest isthmus width was determined. For all VP data, the center of mass resided in the isthmus region ocurring during reentry. Conclusion: ATM high variance measured from SR/AP data localizes functional block lines forming during reentry. The center of mass of the high variance peaks localizes the narrowest width of the isthmus. Therefore, ATM methodology may guide ablation catheter position without resorting to reentry induction. [source]


Different Forms of Ventricular Tachycardia Involving the Left Anterior Fascicle in Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy: Critical Sites of the Reentrant Circuit in Low-Voltage Areas

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 8 2009
CHRISTOPHER REITHMANN M.D.
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the reentrant circuit of ventricular tachycardias (VTs) involving the left anterior fascicle (LAF) in nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results: Six patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy presented with VTs involving the LAF. Potentials in the diastolic or presystolic phase of the VT were identified close to the LAF in 3 patients and in the mid or inferior left ventricular (LV) septum in 3 patients. Superimposed on a CARTO or NavX 3-dimensional voltage map, the diastolic and presystolic potentials were recorded within or at the border of a low-voltage zone in the LV septum in all cases. In 2 patients, both left bundle fascicles participated in the reentrant circuit including a possible interfascicular VT in one case. Ablation targeting the diastolic or presystolic potentials near the LAF or in the midinferior LV septum eliminated the VTs in all patients with the occurrence of a left posterior fascicular block and the delayed occurrence of a complete atrioventricular block in each one patient. During the follow-up of 23 ± 20 months after ablation, 4 patients were free of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Due to detoriation of heart failure, one patient died after 12 months and one patient underwent heart transplantation after 40 months. Conclusions: Slow conduction in diseased myocardium close to the LAF or in the middle and inferior aspects of the LV septum may represent the diastolic pathway of VT involving the LAF. [source]


Quantitative Analysis of the Duration of Slow Conduction in the Reentrant Circuit of Ventricular Tachycardia After Myocardial Infarction

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
YI-GANG LI M.D.
Background: Few data are available to define the circuits in ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction and the conduction time (CT) through the zone of slow conduction (SCZ). This study assessed the CT of the SCZ and identified different reentrant circuits. Methods: During VTs, concealed entrainment (CE) was attempted. The SCZ was identified by a difference between postpacing interval (PPI) and VT cycle length (VTcl) ,30 ms. Since the CT in the normally conducting part of the VT circuit is constant during VT and CE, a CE site within the reentrant circuit with (S-QRS)/PPI , 50% was classified as an inner reentry in which the entire circuit was within the scar, and a CE site with (S-QRS)/PPI < 50% as a common reentry in which part of the circuit was within the scar and part out of the scar. Results: CE was achieved in 20 VTs (12 patients). Six VTs (30%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI ,50% were classified as inner reentry and 14 VTs (70%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI <50% during CE mapping as common reentry. The EG-QRS interval (308 ± 73 ms vs 109 ± 59 ms, P < 0.0001) was significantly longer and the incidence of systolic potentials higher (4/6 vs 0/12, P < 0.001) in the inner reentry group. For the 14 VTs with a common reetry, the CT of the SCZ was 348 ± 73 ms, while the CT in the normal area was 135 ± 50 ms. Conclusion: According to the proposed classification, 30% of VTs after myocardial infarction had an entire reentrant circuit within the scar. In VTs with a common reentrant circuit, the CT of the SCZ is approximately four times longer than the CT in the normal area, accounting for more than 70% of VTcl. [source]


Termination of Epicardial Left Ventricular Tachycardia by Pacing without Global Capture

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2005
ASEEM D. DESAI M.D.
It is generally accepted that the diagnosis of an epicardial origin of ventricular tachycardia (VT) can be made indirectly by observing VT termination during ablation on the epicardial surface of the heart. There is a caveat, however, which is that termination of VT during radiofrequency current application on the epicardial surface could be due to extension of the lesion beyond the epicardium. Therefore, successful ablation of VT using an epicardial approach does not necessarily prove the reentrant circuit is located superficially. We present a case of a 44-year-old man with VT storm who demonstrated successful termination of VT with radiofrequency current application on the epicardial surface of the heart. This site corresponded to a site where pacing during VT resulted in termination of VT without global capture. Isolated mid-diastolic potentials were only seen at this site as well. We hypothesize that the finding of termination of VT by pacing without global capture supports the argument that the site of pacing is a critical part of the VT circuit. [source]


Entrainment Mapping of Dual-Loop Macroreentry in Common Atrial Flutter:

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004
New Insights into the Atrial Flutter Circuit
Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine using entrainment mapping whether the reentrant circuit of common type atrial flutter (AFL) is single loop or dual loop. Methods and Results: In 12 consecutive patients with counterclockwise (CCW) AFL, entrainment mapping was performed with evaluation of atrial electrograms from the tricuspid annulus (TA) and the posterior right atrial (RA) area. We hypothesized that a dual-loop reentry could be surmised from "paradoxical delayed capture" of the proximal part of the circuit having a longer interval from the stimulus to the captured beat compared with the distal part of the circuit. In 6 of 12 patients with CCW AFL, during entrainment from the septal side of the posterior blocking line, the interval from the stimulus to the last captured beat was longer at the RA free wall than at the isthmus position. In these six patients with paradoxical delayed capture, flutter cycle length (FCL) was 227 ± 12 ms and postpacing interval minus FCL was significantly shorter at the posterior blocking line than at the RA free wall (20 ± 11 ms vs 48 ± 33 ms, P < 0.05). In two of these patients, early breakthrough occurred at the lateral TA. A posterior block line was confirmed in all six patients in the sinus venosa area by intracardiac echocardiography. Conclusion: Half of the patients with common type AFL had a dual-loop macroreentrant circuit consisting of an anterior loop (circuit around the TA) and a posterior loop (circuit around the inferior vena cava and the posterior blocking line). (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 15, pp. 679-685, June 2004) [source]


Irregular Atrial Activation During Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia:

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003
Evidence of an Upper Common Pathway
Controversy continues regarding the precise nature of the reentrant circuit of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia, especially the existence of an upper common pathway. In this case report, we show that marked variation and irregularity in atrial activation (maximum AA interval variation of 80 msec) can exist with fixed and constant activation of the His bundle and ventricles during AV nodal reentrant tachycardia in a 45-year-old female patient. We propose that irregular atrial activation is due to variable and inconsistent conduction from the AV node to the atria through the perinodal transitional cell envelope extrinsic to the reentrant circuit. Our observations support the concept of an upper common pathway, at least in some patients with AV nodal reentrant tachycardia.(J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 14, pp. 309-313, March 2003) [source]


High-Resolution Mapping of Tachycardia Originating from the Superior Vena Cava: Evidence of Electrical Heterogeneity, Slow Conduction, and Possible Circus Movement Reentry

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
DIPEN C. SHAH M.D.
Superior Vena Cava Reentry. High-resolution mapping of a tachycardia originating from the superior vena cava (SVC) in a patient with atrial fibrillation is described. Unidirectional circuitous repetitive activation encompassing the full tachycardia cycle length was documented around a line of block within the myocardial sleeve of the SVC. Intermittent conduction to the right atrium resulted in an irregular atrial tachycardia. Evidence of electrical heterogeneity and slow conduction persisted in sinus rhythm and was exaggerated by premature stimulation but did not reproduce the activation pattern during tachycardia. All the available evidence is best compatible with circus movement reentry within the SVC, with marked slow and anisotropic conduction responsible for the restricted dimensions of the reentrant circuit. These findings may suggest a similar substrate and arrhythmia mechanism in the myocardium of the pulmonary veins. [source]


Reentry in a Morphologically Realistic Atrial Model

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2001
EDWARD J. VIGMOND Ph.D.
Reentry in Morphologically Realistic Atria.Introduction: Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In ablation procedures, identification of the reentrant pathways is vital. This has proven difficult because of the complex morphology of the atria. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the role of specific anatomic structures on reentry induction and maintenance. Method and Results: A computationally efficient, morphologically realistic, computer model of the atria was developed that incorporates its major structural features, including discrete electrical connections between the right and left atria, physiologic fiber orientation in three dimensions, muscle structures representing the crista terminalis (CT) and pectinate muscles, and openings for the veins and AV valves. Reentries were induced near the venous openings in the left and right atria, the mouth of the coronary sinus, and the free wall of the right atrium. The roles of certain muscular structures were ascertained by selectively removing the structures and observing how the propagation of activity was affected. Conclusion: (1) The muscular sheath of the coronary sinus acts as a pathway for a reentrant circuit and stabilizes any circuits that utilize the isthmus near the inferior vena cava. (2) Poor trans-CT coupling serves to stabilize flutter circuits. (3) Wall thickness is an important factor in the propagation of electrical activity, especially in the left atrium. (4) The openings of the inferior and superior venae cavae form natural anatomic anchors that make reentry easier to initiate by allowing for smaller ectopic beats to induce reentry. [source]


Simulation of Protective Zones During Quatrefoil Reentry in Cardiac Tissue

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2001
MARISA C. HILDEBRANDT
Protective Zones During Quatrefoil Reentry.Introduction: An S3 stimulus can exert a protective effect by terminating reentry induced by an S2 stimulus. Our goal was to examine the mechanism by which an S3 pulse terminates reentry and the role that virtual electrodes and break excitation play in this process. Methods and Results: In our simulation, the bidomain model represents the electrical properties of the tissue and the Beeler-Reuter model represents the membrane kinetics. Quatrefoil reentry is initiated by S1-S2 stimulation, and then a third stimulus S3 is applied at different intervals after S2. All stimuli are applied through the same unipolar electrode. For some S2-S3 intervals, the S2 and S3 wavefronts interact destructively, terminating reentry (protective zones). For other S2-S3 intervals, S2 and S3 wavefronts interact constructively, and reentry continues. Protective zones appear recurrently, with approximately the period of the S2 reentrant circuit. The protective zones are wider for anodal stimulation than for cathodal stimulation. Conclusion: Virtual electrodes, break excitation, and S2-S3 timing all play important roles in determining the electrical response of the tissue. [source]


Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Postinfarction Ventricular Tachycardia from the Proximal Coronary Sinus

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2001
JOSEF KAUTZNER M.D., Ph.D.
VT Ablation from the Coronary Sinus. Optimum strategy for radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) after inferior wall myocardial infarction (MI) that originates from the posteroseptal process of the left ventricle is not known. We describe a case report of a 57,year-old man who developed recurrent post-MI VT with ECG morphology consistent with this type of VT (i.e., left bundle branch block pattern with predominant R waves from V2 to V6 and left-axis deviation). Endocardial mapping and entrainment during VT demonstrated a critical isthmus of the reentrant circuit in the proximal coronary sinus. RF application terminated VT and rendered it noninducible. [source]


Spatial Distribution and Frequency Dependence of Arrhythmogenic Vagal Effects in Canine Atria

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2000
OLEG F. SHARIFOV Ph.D.
Arrhythmogenic Vagal Effects in Dog Atria. introduction: Prior studies in isolated canine atria demonstrated that acetylcholine-induced reentrant atrial fibrillation (AF) was triggered by multifocal activity in the area of normal impulse origin (sinus node-crista terminalis). The aim of this study was to investigate the activation sequence in AF induced by vagal stimulation (VS) in intact dog hearts. Methods and Results: VS (10 to 50 Hz, 1 msec, 15 V, 5-sec trains) induced single or multiple atrial premature depolarizations (APDs), and/or AF in 8 of 10 open chest dogs. Occurrence of APDs and AF increased with increasing VS intensity. Epicardial mapping (254 unipolar electrodes) of both atria showed that APDs as a rule emerged from ectopic sites, often from the right atrial appendage. Activation mapping of the first 10 cycles of AF showed that only a small number (<3 to 4) of unstable reentrant circuits were possible at the same moment. Moreover, most sustained VS-induced AFs were accounted for by a single leading stable reentrant circuit that activated the remainder of the atria. Conclusion: (1) Occurrence of vagally induced APDs and AF increases with increasing frequency of VS. (2) VS-induced focal ectopic APDs are widely distributed over the atria. (3) A single APD can be sufficient for initiation of reentrant AF. (4) Despite its high rate of sustained AF, it may be maintained by single stable reentrant circuit. (5) The atrial septum can play an important role in both the initiation and the maintenance of VS-induced AF. [source]


Inducible Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Echo Behind Organic 2:1 Infra-Hisian Block During Sinus Rhythm

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006
CHIH-SHENG CHU
A 77-year-old male patient with an intermittent 2:1 infra-Hisian block during sinus rhythm was presented with dizziness and near-syncope. During electrophysiological (EP) study, dual atrioventricular (AV) nodal pathways and retrograde fast pathway were easily induced by atrial and ventricular programmed stimulation, respectively. A typical slow-fast AV nodal reentrant echo beat also could be demonstrated by single atrial extrastimulation. Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) can occasionally exhibit 2:1 AV block. Conversely, AV nodal reentry property had been rarely reported behind 2:1 infra-Hisian block. The EP presentation from this case may support the notion that tissues below the His are not part of the reentrant circuit of AVNRT. [source]


Mechanism of Atrial Flutter Occurring Late After Orthotopic Heart Transplantation with Atrio-atrial Anastomosis

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2005
JOSEPH E. MARINE
Objective: We sought to better define the electrophysiologic mechanism of atrial flutter in patients after heart transplantation. Background: Atrial flutter is a recognized problem in the postcardiac transplant population. The electrophysiologic basis of atrial flutter in this patient population is not completely understood. Methods: Six patients with cardiac allografts and symptoms related to recurrent atrial flutter underwent diagnostic electrophysiologic study with electroanatomic mapping and radiofrequency catheter ablation. Comparison was made with a control nontransplant population of 11 patients with typical counterclockwise right atrial flutter. Results: In each case, mapping showed typical counterclockwise activation of the donor-derived portion of the right atrium, with concealed entrainment shown upon pacing in the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI). The anastomotic suture line of the atrio-atrial anastomosis formed the posterior barrier of the reentrant circuit. Ablation of the electrically active, donor-derived portion of the CTI was sufficient to terminate atrial flutter and render it noninducible. Comparison with the control population showed that the electrically active portion of the CTI was significantly shorter in patients with transplant-associated flutter and that ablation was accomplished with the same or fewer radiofrequency lesions. Conclusions: Atrial flutter in cardiac transplant recipients is a form of typical counterclockwise, isthmus-dependent flutter in which the atrio-atrial anastomotic suture line forms the posterior barrier of the reentrant circuit. Ablation in the donor-derived portion of the CTI is sufficient to create bidirectional conduction block and eliminate this arrhythmia. Ablation or surgical division of the donor CTI at the time of transplantation could prevent this arrhythmia. [source]


Is the Fascicle of Left Bundle Branch Involved in the Reentrant Circuit of Verapamil-Sensitive Idiopathic Left Ventricular Tachycardia?

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2003
JEN-YUAN KUO
The exact reentrant circuit of the verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left VT with a RBBB configuration remains unclear. Furthermore, if the fascicle of left bundle branch is involved in the reentrant circuit has not been well studied. Forty-nine patients with verapamil-sensitive idiopathic left VT underwent electrophysiological study and RF catheter ablation. Group I included 11 patients (10 men, 1 woman; mean age 25 ± 8 years) with left anterior fascicular block (4 patients), or left posterior fascicular block (7 patients) during sinus rhythm. Group II included 38 patients (29 men, 9 women; mean age 35 ± 16 years) without fascicular block during sinus rhythm. Duration of QRS complex during sinus rhythm before RF catheter ablation in group I patients was significant longer than that of group II patients (104 ± 12 vs 95 ± 11 ms, respectively, P = 0.02). Duration of QRS complex during VT was similar between group I and group II patients (141 ± 13 vs 140 ± 14 ms, respectively, P = 0.78). Transitional zones of QRS complexes in the precordial leads during VT were similar between group I and group II patients. After ablation, the QRS duration did not prolong in group I or group II patients (104 ± 11 vs 95 ± 10 ms, P = 0.02); fascicular block did not occur in group II patients. Duration and transitional zone of QRS complex during VT were similar between the two groups, and new fascicular block did not occur after ablation. These findings suggest the fascicle of left bundle branch may be not involved in the antegrade limb of reentry circuit in idiopathic left VT. (PACE 2003; 26:1986,1992) [source]


Characterization of the Electroanatomic Substrate for Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 7 2002
HENRY H. HSIA
HSIA, H.H., et al.: Characterization of the Electroanatomic Substrate for Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients with Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy. Ventricular arrhythmias are common in the setting of nonischemic cardiomyopathy. The etiology for the cardiomyopathy is frequently not identified and the label of "idiopathic" is applied. Interstitial fibrosis with conduction system involvement and associated left bundle branch block characterizes the disease process in some patients and the mechanism for monomorphic ventricular tachycardia is commonly bundle branch reentry. However, most patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy have VT due to myocardial reentry and demonstrate marked myocardial fibrosis and electrogram abnormalities. Although patient specific, the overall distribution of electroanatomic abnormalities appears to be equal on the endocardium and epicardium. The extent of electrogram abnormalities appears to parallel arrhythmia presentation and/or inducibility. Patients with sustained uniform morphology VT have the most extensive endocardial and epicardial electrogram abnormalities. Magnetic electroanatomic voltage mapping provides a powerful tool to characterize the location and extent of the arrhythmia substrate. Basal left ventricular myocardial involvement, as indexed by the location of contiguous electrogram abnormalities, is common in patients with sustained VT and left ventricular cardiomyopathy. The relatively equal distribution of electrogram abnormalities on the endocardium and epicardium, and the results of mapping and ablation attempts, suggest that critical parts of the reentrant circuit may be epicardial. Unique features of the electroanatomic substrate associated with cardiomyopathy due to Chagas' disease, sarcoidosis, and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia are also discussed. [source]


Quantitative Analysis of the Duration of Slow Conduction in the Reentrant Circuit of Ventricular Tachycardia After Myocardial Infarction

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
YI-GANG LI M.D.
Background: Few data are available to define the circuits in ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction and the conduction time (CT) through the zone of slow conduction (SCZ). This study assessed the CT of the SCZ and identified different reentrant circuits. Methods: During VTs, concealed entrainment (CE) was attempted. The SCZ was identified by a difference between postpacing interval (PPI) and VT cycle length (VTcl) ,30 ms. Since the CT in the normally conducting part of the VT circuit is constant during VT and CE, a CE site within the reentrant circuit with (S-QRS)/PPI , 50% was classified as an inner reentry in which the entire circuit was within the scar, and a CE site with (S-QRS)/PPI < 50% as a common reentry in which part of the circuit was within the scar and part out of the scar. Results: CE was achieved in 20 VTs (12 patients). Six VTs (30%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI ,50% were classified as inner reentry and 14 VTs (70%) with a (S-QRS)/PPI <50% during CE mapping as common reentry. The EG-QRS interval (308 ± 73 ms vs 109 ± 59 ms, P < 0.0001) was significantly longer and the incidence of systolic potentials higher (4/6 vs 0/12, P < 0.001) in the inner reentry group. For the 14 VTs with a common reetry, the CT of the SCZ was 348 ± 73 ms, while the CT in the normal area was 135 ± 50 ms. Conclusion: According to the proposed classification, 30% of VTs after myocardial infarction had an entire reentrant circuit within the scar. In VTs with a common reentrant circuit, the CT of the SCZ is approximately four times longer than the CT in the normal area, accounting for more than 70% of VTcl. [source]


Estimation of Entrainment Response Using Electrograms from Remote Sites: Validation in Animal and Computer Models of Reentrant Tachycardia

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
PETER E. HAMMER M.S.
Estimation of Entrainment Response. Introduction: Studies suggest that entrainment response (ER) of reentrant tachycardia to overdrive pacing can be estimated using signals from sites other than the paced site. Methods and Results: A formula for estimation of ER using remote sites against the difference between the postpacing interval (PPI) and tachycardia cycle length (TCL) determined solely from the paced site signal was validated in experimental data and using a simple two-dimensional cellular automata model of reentry. The model also was used to study the behavior and features of entrained surfaces, including the resetting of tachycardia phase by single premature paced stimuli. Experimental results from 1,484 remote sites in 115 pacing sequences showed the average of the median ER estimate error at each pacing site was,2 ± 5 msec, and the median ER estimate was within 10 msec of PPI,TCL for 94% of pacing sites. From simulation results, ER at the paced site was accurately estimated from >99.8% of 20,764 remote sites during pacing at 24 sites and three paced cycle lengths. Intervals measured from remote electrograms revealed whether the site was activated orthodromically or nonorthodromically during pacing, and results of simulations illustrated that the portion of the surface activated nonorthodromically during pacing increased with distance from the pacing site to the circuit. The phenomenon of nonorthodromic activation of reentrant circuits predicted by modeling was discernible in measurements taken from the animal model of reentrant tachycardia. Results also showed that, for single premature stimuli that penetrated the tachycardia circuit, phase reset of the tachycardia was linearly related to distance between the central obstacle and the paced site. Conclusion: The ER is a complex but predictable perturbation of the global activation sequence of reentrant tachycardias. This predictability allows calculations of the response from anywhere on the perturbed surface. These findings suggest new techniques for measurement of the ER, which may lend themselves to computer-based methods for accurate and rapid mapping of reentrant circuits. [source]


Spatial Distribution and Frequency Dependence of Arrhythmogenic Vagal Effects in Canine Atria

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2000
OLEG F. SHARIFOV Ph.D.
Arrhythmogenic Vagal Effects in Dog Atria. introduction: Prior studies in isolated canine atria demonstrated that acetylcholine-induced reentrant atrial fibrillation (AF) was triggered by multifocal activity in the area of normal impulse origin (sinus node-crista terminalis). The aim of this study was to investigate the activation sequence in AF induced by vagal stimulation (VS) in intact dog hearts. Methods and Results: VS (10 to 50 Hz, 1 msec, 15 V, 5-sec trains) induced single or multiple atrial premature depolarizations (APDs), and/or AF in 8 of 10 open chest dogs. Occurrence of APDs and AF increased with increasing VS intensity. Epicardial mapping (254 unipolar electrodes) of both atria showed that APDs as a rule emerged from ectopic sites, often from the right atrial appendage. Activation mapping of the first 10 cycles of AF showed that only a small number (<3 to 4) of unstable reentrant circuits were possible at the same moment. Moreover, most sustained VS-induced AFs were accounted for by a single leading stable reentrant circuit that activated the remainder of the atria. Conclusion: (1) Occurrence of vagally induced APDs and AF increases with increasing frequency of VS. (2) VS-induced focal ectopic APDs are widely distributed over the atria. (3) A single APD can be sufficient for initiation of reentrant AF. (4) Despite its high rate of sustained AF, it may be maintained by single stable reentrant circuit. (5) The atrial septum can play an important role in both the initiation and the maintenance of VS-induced AF. [source]


Relationship of Specific Electrogram Characteristics During Sinus Rhythm and Ventricular Pacing Determined by Adaptive Template Matching to the Location of Functional Reentrant Circuits that Cause Ventricular Tachycardia in the Infarcted Canine Heart

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2000
EDWARD J. CIACCIO Ph.D.
Localization of Reentrant Circuits. Introduction: It would be advantageous, for ablation therapy, to localize reentrant circuits causing ventricular tachycardia by quantifying electrograms obtained during sinus rhythm (SR) or ventricular pacing (VP). In this study, adaptive template matching (ATM) was used to localize reentrant circuits by measuring dynamic electrogram shape using SR and VP data. Methods and Results: Four days after coronary occlusion, reentrant ventricular tachycardia was induced in the epicardial border zone of canine hearts by programmed electrical stimulation. Activation maps of circuits were constructed using electrograms recorded from a multichannel array to ascertain block line location. Electrogram recordings obtained during SR/AP then were used for ATM analysis. A template electrogram was matched with electrograms on subsequent cycles by weighting amplitude, vertical shift, duration, and phase lag for optimal overlap. Sites of largest cycle-to-cycle variance in the optimal ATM weights were found to be adjacent to block lines bounding the central isthmus during reentry (mean 61.1% during SR; 63.9% during VP). The distance between the mean center of mass of the ten highest ATM variance peaks and the narrowest isthmus width was determined. For all VP data, the center of mass resided in the isthmus region ocurring during reentry. Conclusion: ATM high variance measured from SR/AP data localizes functional block lines forming during reentry. The center of mass of the high variance peaks localizes the narrowest width of the isthmus. Therefore, ATM methodology may guide ablation catheter position without resorting to reentry induction. [source]


Signal-Averaged Electrocardiographic Parameter Progression as a Marker of Increased Electrical Instability in Two Cases with an Overt Form of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy

PACING AND CLINICAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002
BARBARA BAUCE
BAUCE, B., et al.: Signal-Averaged Electrocardiographic Parameter Progression as a Marker of In-creased Electrical Instability in Two Cases with an Overt Form of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. In arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) the fibrofatty substitution of the RV myocardium constitutes the substrate for reentrant circuits, leading to the onset of ventricular arrhythmias. This pathological process also accounts for "delayed ventricular potentials" that could be recorded as late potentials using the signal-averaged ECG technique (SAECG). This study examined two patients affected by overt forms of ARVC who showed a worsening of the electrical instability associated with a fast progression of SAECG parameters, while all the other clinical findings remained unchanged. This suggests a possible role of SAECG parameter progression as a marker of increased electrical instability. [source]