Relationship between the atrial-activation pattern around the triangle of Koch and successful ablation sites in slow-fast atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

BACKGROUND

The precise details of atrial activation around the triangle of Koch (ToK) remain unknown. We evaluated the relationship between the atrial-activation pattern around the ToK and success sites for slow-pathway (SP) modification ablation in slow-fast atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).

METHODS

Thirty patients with slow-fast AVNRT who underwent successful ablation were enrolled. Atrial activation around the ToK during sinus rhythm was investigated using ultra-high-density mapping pre-ablation. The relationships among features of atrial-activation pattern and success sites were examined.

RESULTS

Of 30 patients (22 cryoablation; 8 radiofrequency ablation), 26 patients had a collision site of two wavefronts of delayed atrial activation within ToK, indicating a success site. The activation-search function of Lumipoint software, which highlights only atrial activation with a spatiotemporal consistency, showed non-highlighted area on the tricuspid-annulus side of ToK. In 23 of the patients, a spiky potential was recorded at that collision site outside the Lumipoint-highlighted area. Fifteen cryoablation patients with a success site coincident with a collision site outside the Lumipoint-highlighted area had significantly more frequent disappearances of SP after initial cryoablation (46.7% vs. 0%,  = .029), fewer cryoablations (3.7 ± 1.8 vs. 5.3 ± 1.3,  = .045), and shorter procedure times (170 ± 57 vs. 228 ± 91 min,  = .082) compared to the seven cryoablation patients without such sites. Four patients had transient AV block by ablation inside the Lumipoint-highlighted area with fractionated signals, but no patient developed permanent AV block or recurrence post-procedure (median follow-up: 375 days).

CONCLUSIONS

SP modification ablation at the collision site of atrial activation of the tricuspid-annulus side along with a spiky potential could provide a better outcome.