Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in patients with hyperthyroidism.
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.
Ma
Chang Sheng
CS
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
Liu
Xu
X
Hu
Fu Li
FL
Dong
Jian Zeng
JZ
Liu
Xing Peng
XP
Wang
Xin Hua
XH
Long
De Yong
DY
Tang
Ri Bo
RB
Yu
Rong Hui
RH
Lu
Chun Shan
CS
Fang
Dong Ping
DP
Hao
Peng
P
Liu
Xiao Hui
XH
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