title: Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with hyperthyroidism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical efficacy of catheter ablation for treating patients with hyperthyroidism-related atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 16 patients (12 males; age, 59.8 +/- 11.3 years) with hyperthyroidism-related AF, who had all been euthyroid for more than 3 months but still suffered from highly symptomatic and antiarrhythmia drug (AAD)-refractory AF. Circumferential pulmonary vein ablation (CPVA) guided by a 3-D mapping system was carried out to encircle the ipsilateral pulmonary veins (PVs) with a procedural endpoint of continuity of the circular lesions and PV isolation. Success was defined as the absence of any atrial tachyarrhythmia (ATa) off AADs beyond the first 3 months after the procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CPVA was safely carried out in each of the 16 patients without any complications. PV isolation was achieved in all the treated PVs. After a mean follow-up of 15.8 +/- 11.8 (range, 6-55) months, 9 patients (56%) were free of ATa without any AADs beyond the first 3 months. AF relapsed in the remaining 7 patients, among whom 4 responded to AAD therapy and 3 were totally unresponsive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For patients suffering hyperthyroidism-related AF, CPVA guided by a 3-D mapping system could represent one of the therapeutic options.
authors: Ward 2nd, Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital University of Medical Sciences, Chaoyang District, Beijing, People's Republic of China. chshma@vip.sina.com
authors: Chang Sheng
authors: CS
authors: Ma
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Fu Li
authors: FL
authors: Hu
authors: Jian Zeng
authors: JZ
authors: Dong
authors: Xing Peng
authors: XP
authors: Liu
authors: Xin Hua
authors: XH
authors: Wang
authors: De Yong
authors: DY
authors: Long
authors: Ri Bo
authors: RB
authors: Tang
authors: Rong Hui
authors: RH
authors: Yu
authors: Chun Shan
authors: CS
authors: Lu
authors: Dong Ping
authors: DP
authors: Fang
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Hao
authors: Xiao Hui
authors: XH
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery