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Electrophysiology of a gap created on the canine atrium

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Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

It is crucial to detect the unablated regions (=“gap”) in the radiofrequency linear ablation of atrial tachyarrhythmias. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the electropysiological properties of the gap created in the canine atrium and its anatomicohistologic findings.

Methods and Results

In 17 dogs, a linear epicardial radiofrequency ablation lesion was created on the right atrial wall with a gap of surviving tissue in the mid-portion of the lesion. For each gap, the local electrogram (LE) from the gap and conduction pattern through the gap were recorded using an electrode catheter and a plaque electrode during pacing from each side of the gap and the gap size was measured. The gaps >5 mm exhibited a conductive property and the gaps <3 mm had no conduction property according to 3-D mapping. The size of the conductive gaps was larger than that of the non-conductive gaps (7.1 ± 2.6 vs. 2.6 ± 2.5 mm, p < 0.0001). The LE configurations were categorized into single, double and continuous potentials and single potentials were demonstrated only in wide gaps >7 mm. There was a significant inversed correlation between the duration of the LE and gap size and also between the LE duration and the conduction velocity. Histological examination showed that the conduction properties through the gap depended mainly on its size.

Conclusions

The conductivity through the gap, which was affected by the size of the gap, may be evaluated by the duration and configuration of the local electrogram recorded from the gap.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan, J113-8519

    Kei Yano, Kenzo Hirao, Tomoe Horikawa & Mitsuaki Isobe

  2. Department of Pathology, Tokyo Metropolitan Hiroo General Hospital, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Michio Tanaka

Authors
  1. Kei Yano
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  2. Kenzo Hirao
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  3. Tomoe Horikawa
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  4. Michio Tanaka
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  5. Mitsuaki Isobe
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Correspondence to Kenzo Hirao.

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Yano, K., Hirao, K., Horikawa, T. et al. Electrophysiology of a gap created on the canine atrium. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 17, 1–9 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-006-9059-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-006-9059-8

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