title: Orthodromic and antidromic pacemaker circus movement tachycardia.
abstract: Pacemaker circus movement tachycardia (PCMT) during DDD pacing is usually sustained by retrograde natural and antegrade electronic atrioventricular (AV) conduction. As PCMT is often initiated by a ventricular premature beat (VPB) one method of its prevention is the programming of an atrial stimulus synchronously following a ventricular extrasystole. A patient is described with preserved antegrade, but without retrograde, i.e., VA, conduction. The optional pacemaker mode of synchronous atrial stimulation following a VPB caused an unusual PCMT sustained by retrograde electronic and antegrade natural AV conduction. This PCMT is similar to a natural reentry tachycardia, the most common variety of which (based on retrograde conduction) is termed antidromic and that which we describe is orthodromic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Von Knorre
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ismer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Voss
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Westphal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000628:therapy; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology