Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia with radiofrequency currents, with special reference to the termination and minor morphologic change of reinduced ventricular tachycardia

Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Repetitive Monomorphic Right Ventricular Tachycardia Originating Near the His-Bundle

INTRODUCTION

Most idiopathic nonreentrant ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) arise from the right or left ventricular outflow tract (OT). However, some right ventricular (RV) VT/VPCs originate near the His-bundle region. The aim of this study was to investigate ECG characteristics of VT/VPCs originating near the His-bundle in comparison with right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT)-VT/VPCs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Ninety RV-VT/VPC patients underwent catheter mapping and radiofrequency ablation. ECG variables were compared between VT/VPCs originating from the RVOT and near the His-bundle. Ten patients had foci near the His-bundle (HIS group), with the His-bundle local ventricular electrogram preceding the QRS onset by 15-35 msec (mean: 22 msec) and His-bundle pacing produced a nearly identical ECG to clinical VT/VPCs. The HIS group R wave amplitude in the inferior leads (lead III: 1.0 +/- 0.6 mV) was significantly lower than that of the RVOT group (1.7 +/- 0.4 mV, P < 0.05). An R wave in aVL was present in 6 of 10 HIS group patients, while almost all RVOT group patients had a QS pattern in aVL. Lead I in HIS group exhibited significantly taller R wave amplitudes than RVOT group. HIS group QRS duration in the inferior leads was shorter than that of the RVOT group. Eight of 10 HIS group patients exhibited a QS pattern in lead V1 compared to 14 of 81 RVOT group patients. HIS group had larger R wave amplitudes in leads V5 and V6 than RVOT group.

CONCLUSION

VT/VPCs originating near the His-bundle have distinctive ECG characteristics. Knowledge of the characteristic QRS morphology may facilitate catheter mapping and successful ablation.

Static relationship of cycle length to reentrant circuit geometry

BACKGROUND

Knowledge of the pathway common to both wave fronts in figure-8 reentrant circuits (ie, the isthmus) is of importance for catheter ablation to stop reentrant ventricular tachycardia. It was hypothesized that quantitative measures of reentry isthmus geometry were interrelated and could be correlated with tachycardia cycle length.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A canine infarct model of reentrant ventricular tachycardia in the epicardial border zone with a figure-8 pattern of conduction was used for initial analysis (experiments in 20 canine hearts with monomorphic reentry). Sinus-rhythm and reentry activation maps were constructed, and quantitative (skeletonized) geometric parameters of the isthmus and border zone were measured from the maps. Regression equations were used to determine significant correlation relationships between skeletonized variables, which can be described as follows. Tachycardia cycle length, measured from the ECG R-R interval, increases with increasing isthmus length, width, narrowest width, angle with respect to muscle fibers, and circuit path length determined by use of sinus-rhythm measurements. After this procedure, in 5 test-set experiments, tachycardia cycle length measured from the R-R interval, in combination with regression coefficients calculated from initial experiments, correctly predicted isthmus geometry (mean estimated/actual isthmus overlap 70.5%). Also, the circuit path length determined with sinus-rhythm measurements correctly estimated the tachycardia cycle length (mean error 6.2+/-2.5 ms).

CONCLUSIONS

Correlation relationships derived from measurements using reentry and sinus-rhythm activation maps are useful to assess isthmus geometry on the basis of tachycardia cycle length. Such estimates may improve catheter ablation site targeting during clinical electrophysiological study.

Radiofrequency ablation of haemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether radiofrequency (RF) ablation might have a role in haemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia.

METHODS

10 patients with a history of ventricular tachycardia producing haemodynamic collapse in whom drug treatment had failed and device therapy was rejected underwent RF ablation of ventricular tachycardia in sinus rhythm. The arrhythmogenic zone was defined on the basis of abnormal systolic movement, the presence of fragmentation (low amplitude, prolonged multiphasic electrograms), and pace mapping. RF lesions were delivered in power mode in linear fashion within the defined arrhythmogenic zone.

RESULTS

Success (no ventricular tachycardia inducible postablation or at retest) was achieved in six patients, possible success (a different ventricular tachycardia inducible at more aggressive stimulation) in three. In one patient, the procedure was abandoned because of poor catheter stability. There were no clinical events during a mean (SD) follow up period of 23 (10) months in any of the nine patients defined as definite or possible successes.

CONCLUSIONS

RF ablation for addressing haemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia opens the door for the wider use of catheter ablation for treating this arrhythmia.

Repetitive ventricular responses induced by radiofrequency ablation for idiopathic ventricular tachycardia originating from the outflow tract of the right ventricle

In 23 consecutive patients, radiofrequency (RF) ablation was used as treatment for idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the outflow tract of the right ventricle. In this study, we focused on the repetitive ventricular response (> 5 consecutive QRS beats during RF application). The incidence and clinical implications of the repetitive ventricular response were examined through the results of endocardial mapping and RF ablation. VT origin was mapped as the earliest activation site during VT, and it was determined within 0.5 x 0.5 cm (narrow site) in 13 patients and wider than 0.5 x 0.5 cm (wide origin) in the other 10 patients. The repetitive ventricular response was induced during application of RF current in 14 of 23 patients (61%), and it was more frequently observed in VT from a wide origin (100%) than in the VT from a narrow site (31%). The QRS morphology of the repetitive ventricular response was identical to that of clinical VT. As RF application was continued and/or repeated, the RR interval of the repetitive ventricular response was gradually prolonged, the number of consecutive QRS complexes was decreased, and clinical VT was finally eliminated. The overall success rate of RF ablation was 96% (22/23 patients), and no complications were observed. In conclusion, a repetitive ventricular response was frequently observed in idiopathic right VT. The changing pattern of repetitive ventricular response, slowly and/or disappearing was consistent with successful RF ablation.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation for idiopathic right ventricular tachycardia with special reference to morphological variation and long-term outcome

OBJECTIVE

To assess the long term outcome of radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation for idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the outflow tract of the right ventricle, with special reference to the morphological variation in the VT-QRS complexes.

PATIENTS

13 patients whose ventricular tachycardia was treated with RF ablation were followed up more than 18 months after RF ablation.

RESULTS

Endocardial mapping revealed the various extensions of ventricular tachycardia origin (from 0.5 x 0.5 cm to 2.0 x 2.0 cm) in which the earliest local electrogram was recorded during ventricular tachycardia. In all five tachycardias from a relatively wider origin (more than 0.5 x 0.5 cm) and in four of eight from a narrow origin (< 0.5 x 0.5 cm), subtle morphological variation in the VT-QRS complexes was observed. In tachycardias with morphological variation, the local electrogram at the tachycardia origin also showed concomitant variation in morphology and activation sequence. Ventricular tachycardia from a narrow site was eliminated by RF ablation to the confined site, but a larger number of RF applications was required in tachycardias from a wider origin. All 13 tachycardias were successfully ablated by RF current, and during the follow up period of 28.2 (SD 7.2) months, recurrence was observed in only one patient who had a wider origin.

CONCLUSIONS

Long term efficacy of RF ablation was excellent in idiopathic ventricular tachycardia originating from the outflow tract of the right ventricle. Subtle morphological variations were frequently observed in this type of ventricular tachycardia, and about half of them represented a relatively wider arrhythmogenic area.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation in symptomatic ventricular arrhythmia

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is an effective method to cure both supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in certain centres.

AIM

To assess the results of RFCA in VA at Siriraj Hospital.

METHOD

Electrophysiologic study, mapping, using both earliest endocardial activation and pace mapping, and ablation were performed.

RESULTS

Thirty patients with symptomatic VA underwent RFCA. The mean age was 44 years. Eight patients had underlying heart disease (two prolapsed mitral valve, three myocarditis, two dilated cardiomyopathy and one mitral stenosis). Thirty-six morphologies of VA were detected from the study. Thirty-three morphologic tachycardias attempted were successfully ablated; 17, 10 and six were right VT, left VT and premature ventricular contraction (PVC), respectively. Failure of ablation occurred in one patient with left VT. Only minor complications occurred in this study. There was no difference in cycle length and endocardial activation time between right and left VT. 12/12 identical pace mapping was more easily performed in right VT than in left VT. The fluoroscopic and procedure times in left VT were significantly longer than in right VT. Relapse occurred in six patients. Re-ablation was successfully performed in four patients, giving a final success rate of 93%.

CONCLUSION

RFCA is an effective treatment and should be considered as an alternative method to cure VT and refractory PVC.

Morphological variation of nonreentrant idiopathic ventricular tachycardia originating from the right ventricular outflow tract and effect of radiofrequency lesion

RF catheter ablation was performed in 16 patients with nonreentrant idiopathic VT originating from the RVOT. All documented VT was monomorphic, but subtle morphological variation in the VT-QRS complex was observed in 10 (63%) of 16 patients. Through endocardial mapping, VT origin was determined within a narrow site (< 0.5 x 0.5 cm) in 4 of the 10 patients with the morphological variation. In the other 6 of 10 patients, the origin extended to an area of > 0.5 x 0.5 cm. In VT with morphological variation, the local electrogram at the site of VT origin also showed variation in morphology and activation sequence. For VT of narrow origin, RF application to the site eliminated the VT. However, in VT from a wide arrhythmogenic area, RF current had to be delivered to 3-7 distinct sites to cover the possible origin, and specific QRS configuration of VT and/or PVC was ablated at each of the earliest activation site. All but one VT were successfully ablated by RF current. Subtle morphological variation was frequent in this type of VT, and about half were associated with a wide arrhythmogenic area. Precise mapping and analysis of the efficacy of each RF application might be helpful to better understand the relationship between subtle changes of VT-QRS morphology and their origins.