Catheter mapping of retrograde atrial activation. Observations during ventricular pacing and AV nodal reentrant paroxysmal tachycardia

Abstract

A systematic study of retrograde atrial activation sequence at commonly used electrode catheter recording sites in 8 patients without, and in 4 patients with AV nodal re entrant paroxysmal tachycardia was made. During right ventricular pacing, the retrograde atrial activation sequence was low septal right atrium - proximal coronary sinus - distal coronary sinus - high right atrium. During the episodes of paroxysmal tachycardia, a similar pattern was observed. This information should be helpful in the understanding of abnormal activation sequences in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in whom retrogradely conducting anomalous pathways are suspected.