Mechanisms of atrial fibrillation and flutter and implications for management.
Both electrophysiologic and anatomical substrates are important in the generation and maintenance of atrial fibrillation. This review discusses the nature of re-entrant wavefronts in atrial fibrillation and the importance of anatomical structures, such as the pectinate muscles, in the generation and maintenance of re-entry. The involvement of the pectinate muscle structure on intra-atrial re-entry may have significant implications for both ablation and pharmacologic management of patients with atrial fibrillation.
Chen
P S
PS
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine, USA.
Athill
C A
CA
Wu
T J
TJ
Ikeda
T
T
Ong
J J
JJ
Karagueuzian
H S
HS
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001283:Atrioventricular Node / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*