Double atrial parasystole showing intermittent trigeminy.

An extremely rare instance of atrial parasystole arising from two different ectopic atrial foci, i.e. double atrial parasystole, is presented, in which both parasystolic intrinsic cycles were found to be around 0.80-0.89 sec. Atrial parasystolic trigeminy with a positive P wave in leads II and III and interectopic intervals (IEIs) of 2.40-2.68 sec continued, then intermittent atrial parasystole with a negative P wave in leads II and III and IEIs of 2.45-2.69 sec took over. A wandering pacemaker between the sinus node and the upper atrio-ventricular (A-V) junction due to autonomic imbalance, i.e. increased vagal tone, in an elderly patient with bronchial asthma was supposed to be the underlying mechanism. Resetting of the parasystolic pacemaker by the third preceding atrial impulse or mutual entrainment and the subsequent 3:1 exit block may play a role in the development of intermittent atrial parasystole with a negative P wave in this case on account of the intrinsic ectopic cycle of 0.84 sec. Alternative explanation of IEIs 2.40-2.69 sec was a 2:1 exit block with the altered basic cycle of mainly 1.24-1.29 sec in consideration of the IEI of 1.24 sec. An explanation of manifest parasystolic cycles on the basis of the theory or cardiac resonant oscillation was put forward for the first time in this report. The IEIs take certain discrete values, which may represent a quantitized property of atrial parasystolic pacemakers as oscillating systems.