title: Concealed automaticity from an island of atrial myocardium post cavotricuspid ablation.
abstract: We report the case of a patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in whom 2 previous cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) ablations were performed for recurrent type I counterclockwise atrial flutter. One year after the last CTI ablation, the patient underwent pulmonary vein isolation for AF and reassessment of conduction block in the CTI was performed during the procedure. While mapping the CTI, activations were documented within the CTI that were dissociated from both right atrial and ventricular activity during sinus rhythm and pacing maneuvers. This dissociated activity was confined to a region delimited by the 2 previous ablation lines, the tricuspid annulus and the inferior vena cava. These findings suggest that an island of atrial myocardium with automatic activity was created within the CTI by previous ablation lines.
authors.affiliation: Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada. jblpdw@skynet.be
authors.forename: Jean-Benoit
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Le Polain DE Waroux
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nattel
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dubuc
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talajic
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery