Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia: Current Perspectives

Abstract

Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common, highly symptomatic paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Despite pharmacological treatment and vagal maneuvers for acute termination, catheter ablation has emerged as the first line treatment for the cure of AVNRT episodes. Several studies during recent years have investigated the efficacy, safety and long-term effect of both radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation of the slow pathway for the treatment of AVNRT. Innovations such as mapping systems and dedicated catheters have contributed by extending the indication to AVNRT ablation, even in particular subset populations such as children and congenital heart disease patients. We performed this review with the aim aim of summarizing and discussing current perspectives on the treatment of AVNRT, mainly focusing on catheter ablation energy sources and long-term results.