A focal source of atrial fibrillation in the superior vena cava: isolation and elimination by radiofrequency ablation with the guide of basket catheter mapping.
Although it has been reported that pulmonary veins sometimes act as a focal driver of atrial fibrillation (AF), little has been reported concerning the contribution of the superior vena cava (SVC) to the maintenance of AF. Here we report a patient with sustained AF due to focal discharges inside the SVC after pulmonary vein isolation procedure. Stepwise radiofrequency current applications with the guide of multielectrode basket catheter mapping first disconnected the arrhythmogenic SVC from the right atrium and then eliminated the tachycardia.
Yamane
Teiichi
T
Department of Cardiology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan. yamanet1@aol.com
Miyanaga
Satoru
S
Inada
Keiichi
K
Matsuo
Seiichiro
S
Miyazaki
Hidekazu
H
Date
Taro
T
Abe
Kunihiko
K
Sugimoto
Ken-Ichi
K
Mochizuki
Seibu
S
D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000503:physiopathology*