Clinical and electrophysiological characteristics in patients with atrioventricular reentrant and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.
OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical, electrophysiological characteristics and transcatheter ablation results between two groups of patients, one with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) and the other with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).


METHODS
The study population consisted of 94 consecutive patients who underwent endocavitary electrophysiological study and radiofrequency (RF) ablation: 46 patients had AVRT due to an accessory pathway with only retrograde conduction while 48 patients had AVNRT.


RESULTS
In relation to general and clinical characteristics, differences between the two groups emerged regarding the age of symptom onset (25+/-16 vs 37+/-17 years, p=0.001), the prevalence of heart disease (8 vs 31%, p=0.001) and the correct diagnosis on surface ECG (50 vs 79%, p=0.001). Clinical presentation was quite similar apart from a higher prevalence of fatigue and sweating in the AVNRT group. Transcatheter RF ablation therapy results were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with AVRT have a lower mean age at arrhythmia symptom onset compared with those with AVNRT and have fewer associated cardiac abnormalities. Clinical presentation is quite similar as well as their outcome after ablation. A correct diagnosis by standard ECG is more frequent in AVNRT.
Bottoni
N
N
Unità Operativa di Cardiologia Interventistica, Dipartimento di Cardiologia, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy. bottoni.nicola@asmn.re.it
Tomasi
C
C
Donateo
P
P
Lolli
G
G
Muià
N
N
Croci
F
F
Oddone
D
D
Menozzi
C
C
Brignole
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D013611:Tachycardia, Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*