title: Transcatheter ablation of incessant ectopic left atrial tachycardia using radiofrequency current.
abstract: Catheter ablation of ectopic atrial tachycardia has been previously reported in a small number of patients in whom the ectopic focus was predominantly located in the right atrium. We report on a 51-year-old patient with atrial automatic tachycardia originating in the left atrium, in whom successful radiofrequency catheter ablation was performed via a transseptal puncture. The patient had suffered incessant atrial tachycardia for several years, refractory to antiarrhythmic drug treatment and DC-cardioversion. Radiofrequency ablation terminated left ectopic atrial tachycardia and, therefore, should have been attempted before resorting to open heart surgical ablation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Trappe
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pfitzner
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Lichtlen
mesh_terms: D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013612:Tachycardia, Ectopic Atrial / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*