Preferential locations for critical reentry circuit sites causing ventricular tachycardia after inferior wall myocardial infarction.

INTRODUCTION

For relatively slow monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) after myocardial infarction, entrainment can be used to identify reentry circuit "isthmus sites" (exit sites and sites proximal to the exit) where radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation has the greatest likelihood of interrupting reentry. Similarities in coronary and ventricular anatomy may cause such sites to form in preferential locations. The objective of this study is to determine if there are preferential locations for reentry circuit isthmus regions in chronic inferior wall infarctions causing VT.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Catheter mapping and RF catheter ablation was performed in 21 patients with an old inferior wall myocardial infarction and VT. The inferior wall was divided into 9 anatomic regions: 3 apical, 3 mid, and 3 basal segments. Of 46 different VTs, an endocardial isthmus site was identified in one or more zones in 28 (61%), with 10 VTs having isthmus sites in two or more adjacent regions. Isthmus zones were found in a basal region of the left ventricle in 24 (86%) of 28 VTs, in a mid segment in 9 (32%) VTs, and in an apical segment in 1 (4%) (P = 0.002). Of 30 RF current applications that terminated VT, 21 (70%) were at basal isthmus sites.

CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of endocardial isthmus zones near the base of the left ventricle suggests that the mitral annulus often plays a role in defining the margins of reentry circuits that cause relatively slow VTs after inferior wall myocardial infarction.