Skip Navigation

Europace 2006 8(1):21-28; doi:10.1093/europace/euj007
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Meiltz, A.
Right arrow Articles by Zimmermann, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Meiltz, A.
Right arrow Articles by Zimmermann, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The European Society of Cardiology 2006. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia in adults: peculiar features and results of radiofrequency catheter ablation

Alexandre Meiltz1, Reinold Weber2, Franck Halimi3, Pascal Defaye4, Serge Boveda5, René Tavernier6, Dietrich Kalusche2 and Marc Zimmermann1,*

Cardiovascular Department, Hôpital de La Tour 1 Avenue JD Maillard, CH-1217 Meyrin, Geneva Switzerland ; Herzzentrum Bad Krozingen Germany ; Centre Médico-chirurgical Parly II Le Chesnay France ; Service de Cardiologie, CHU Michallon Grenoble France ; Service de Cardiologie, Clinique Pasteur Toulouse France ; Department of Cardiology, Universitair Ziekenhuis Gent Belgium

Aim PJRT occurs predominantly in infants and children and is limited to small series in adults. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical presentation, electrophysiological characteristics, feasibility and safety of radiofrequency ablation, and the long-term prognosis in a large group of adult patients with the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardia (PJRT).

Methods and results Forty-nine adult patients (22 male and 27 female; mean age 43±16) with a diagnosis of PJRT confirmed at electrophysiological study were included. Eight patients (16%) presented with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC). Ventricular rate was 146±30 bpm. The arrhythmia was permanent or incessant in 23/49 cases (47%) and paroxysmal in 26/49 (53%). A significant correlation was found between symptom duration and tachycardia rate (r2=0.12, P=0.01). The accessory pathway (AP) was located in the right posteroseptal region in 37 cases (76%) and in atypical sites in 12 cases (24%).Patients with the incessant or permanent form of PJRT had longer duration of symptoms, more frequently TIC and a slower tachycardia rate. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was initially successful in 46 cases (94%) without any serious complication. Long-term success rate was 100% (49/49 patients) in the absence of any antiarrhythmic drug treatment (mean follow-up 49±38 months). Regression of TIC was observed in all cases (8/8).

Conclusion PJRT in adults is often paroxysmal (53%), and the retrograde slowly conducting, decremental AP is not infrequently in a non-posteroseptal location. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is highly effective and should be considered as the treatment of first choice in adult patients with PJRT.

Key Words: Permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia, Accessory pathway, Radiofrequency catheter ablation, PJRT

Corresponding author. Tel: +41 22 782 97 78; fax: 41 22 785 18 63. E-mail address: zimmermann.family{at}bluewin.ch


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.