title: Cardiac resynchronization therapy by ablation of right-anterolateral accessory pathway.
abstract: Ventricular preexcitation caused by right-sided accessory pathways can lead to abnormal septal motion patterns and may be associated with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and heart failure, despite the lack of a clinical arrhythmia. Hence successful ablation of the accessory pathway abolishes not only preexcitation but also ventricular dyssynchrony in these patients. We describe a case of an asymptomatic 20-year-old male presenting with ventricular Type-B preexcitation combined with LV dysfunction. The individual risk of arrhythmic events was enhanced due to competitive sport activities of the patient and a short antegrade refractory period of the accessory pathway. Hence standard radiofrequency ablation of the right anterolateral accessory pathway was performed, despite no history of tachycardia. After successful accessory pathway ablation, normalization of LV size and function was demonstrated by echocardiography with a long-term follow-up of 4 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine II/Cardiology, Elisabethinen Academic Teaching Hospital, Linz, Austria. siegmund.winter@elisabethinen.or.at
authors.forename: Siegmund
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinek
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pürerfellner
authors.forename: Hans Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Nesser
mesh_terms: D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011226:Pre-Excitation Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult