Ablation of Nonsustained or Hemodynamically Unstable Ventricular Arrhythmia Originating From the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Guided by Noncontact Mapping

• Published in: Pacing and clinical electrophysiology 2003-08, Vol.26 (8), p.1699-1705
• Main Authors: FUNG, JEFFREY W.H., CHAN, HAMISH C.K., CHAN, JOSEPH Y.S., CHAN, WINNIE W.L., KUM, LEO C.C., SANDERSON, JOHN E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Body Surface Potential Mapping - methods; Catheter Ablation - methods; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; Female; Heart Ventricles - anatomy & histology; Heart Ventricles - physiopathology; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Male; Middle Aged; noncontact mapping; right ventricular outflow tract; Tachycardia, Ventricular - surgery; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0147-8389; 1540-8159
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1460-9592.2003.t01-1-00255.x

Conventional activation or pacemapping is effective in guiding ablation of ventricular tachyarrhythmia originating from right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). However, in selected patients with hemodynamically unstable or nonsustained tachycardia, noncontact mapping may be an effective alternative method to guide ablation in RVOT. Five patients with symptomatic hypotension during ventricular tachycardia (VT) or nonsustained tachyarrhythmia originating from the RVOT had radiofrequency ablation guided by noncontact mapping. All patients had a history of syncope and the tachyarrhythmias were refractory to antiarrhythmic therapy. Four patients had spontaneous sustained VT of a cycle length from 250 to 300 ms and one had symptomatic ventricular ectopic beats. Two patients were diagnosed to have arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Sustained VT with hypotension was induced in two patients and nonsustained VT in three patients. Isopotential color maps were used to locate the earliest activation site of the tachyarrhythmia in RVOT. Three patients had tachyarrhythmia exit sites at the septal region and two at lateral region of RVOT. Low voltage area and diastolic activity were detected in the two patients with ARVC. Radiofrequency ablation guided by noncontact mapping was performed during sinus rhythm in all patients. The number of ablation attempts ranged from 1 to 14. After follow‐up for 12 ± 5.8 months , there was no recurrence of tachyarrhythmia and syncope in all five patients. Noncontact mapping is a safe and effective alternative method to guide ablation of hemodynamically unstable or nonsustained ventricular arrhythmia originating from RVOT. (PACE 2003; 26:1699–1705)