[Radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with common atrial flutter].
BACKGROUND
Type 1 atrial flutter is produced by a reentry circuit located in the right atrium that can be interrupted applying radiofrequency in the inferior cava-tricuspid valve isthmus.


OBJECTIVE
To report our experience in the treatment of atrial flutter with radiofrequency ablation.


METHODS
Nine patients (eight male) whose ages ranged from 6 to 72 years old were studied. Two patients had an operated congenital cardiopathy, two had high blood pressure, one was subjected previously to radiofrequency ablation due to a left paraspecific pathway, one developed a cardiac failure secondary to tachycardia and three did not have evidences of cardiopathy.


RESULTS
In two patients, atrial flutter was not interrupted. In the other seven patients, radiofrequency ablation was successful. There were three relapses in the first month after the procedure, of these, two patients were successfully treated again. After a mean follow up of 4.5 months, these patients are asymptomatic and without antiarrhythmic drugs. Analysis of obtained signals, showed that radiofrequency that interrupted atrial flutter always occurred in zones of double potentials.


CONCLUSIONS
Radiofrequency ablation is an effective treatment for atrial flutter and the zone of successful ablation is associated to the presence of double atrial potentials.
Viteri
M
M
Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile.
Vergara
I
I
Fajuri
A
A
Cambón
A M
AM
González
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery
Fulguración con radiofrecuencia en pacientes con flutter auricular típico.