title: [Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with chronic ischemic cardiopathy: a study of high-resolution atrial activation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with ischemic heart disease and episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation are at major risk of stroke. In order to prevent such episodes, through the identification of patients prone to atrial fibrillation, we investigated the high-resolution atriogram of 65 patients with chronic ischemic heart disease, 54 male and 11 female, mean age 60.22 +/- 9.04 years. Based on previous documented episodes of atrial fibrillation, the patients were divided into two groups: group A, 45 males and 3 females, mean age 58.92 +/- 7.68 years, without atrial fibrillation; group B, 9 males and 8 females, mean age 63.88 +/- 11.6 years, with atrial fibrillation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High resolution atrial duration (100-300 Hz) in group B (with atrial fibrillation) was higher than in group A (without atrial fibrillation) (140.59 +/- 16.85 ms vs 121.77 +/- 11.27 ms, p < 0.001); Non filtered atrial duration (0-300 Hz) was not different between the two groups, A and B (118.54 +/- 10.96 ms vs 123.53 +/- 18.77 ms, p = NS); The prevalence of late atrial potentials was higher in group B than in group A (60.8% vs 7.1%, p < 0.001); No relation was observed between high resolution atriogram data and echocardiographic measurements; Sensibility was 82%, specificity 81%, and predictivity 60%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data from our study show that high resolution electrocardiography is a valid tool for identifying patients prone to atrial fibrillation. Such patients can be identified by the presence of "late atrial potentials" that, like late ventricular potentials for ventricular tachycardia, are correlated with atrial fibrillation. Nevertheless, a larger cohort of patients is necessary to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: Servizio Speciale di Aritmologia, Università La Sapienza, Roma.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iannucci
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cangelosi
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Di Paolo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ciardo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baciarello
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology
vernacular_title: Fibrillazione atriale parossistica in pazienti con cardiopatia ischemica cronica: studio dell'attivazione atriale ad alta risoluzione.