Reentry in an accessory atrioventricular pathway as a trigger for atrial fibrillation initiation in manifest Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome: a matter of reflection?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with an accessory pathway (AP) have an increased propensity to develop atrial fibrillation (AF), but the mechanism is unknown.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to identify crucial risk factors and to test the hypothesis that reflection and/or microreentry of atrial impulses propagating into the AP triggers AF.

Methods

Five hundred thirty-four patients successfully treated with radiofrequency ablation of AP at two university hospitals were evaluated. Patients were separated into those with concealed vs those with manifest AP in terms of their propensity to develop AF. To investigate AF triggering mechanisms, linear and branched two-dimensional models of atrium-to-ventricle propagation across a heterogeneous 1 x 6 AP using human ionic kinetics

SUBMITTER: Schwieler JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2597634 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature