[Radiofrequency transcatheter ablation in atrial tachycardia]

Incessant atrial tachycardia is an infrequent arrhythmia. Specially difficult to treat medically. Radiofrequency catheter ablation has been used successfully to cure a variety of supraventricular tachycardias. The purpose of this work is to report our initial experience in the treatment of atrial tachycardia. Ten patients, mean age 28.7 +/- 15 year with conventional drug-resistant symptomatic atrial tachycardia were treated with selective ablation of the focus using radiofrequency energy. It was found an abnormal automaticity in 10 tachycardias and in only one patient intra-atrial reentrant was supported. Radiofrequency energy was successful in 10 of 11 tachycardias with a mean of 9.3 +/- 6.8 applications using the technique of local atrial electrogram activation time with a mean value of -54 +/- -31 milliseconds at the successful ablation sites. No complications were observed and one patient had an early clinical recurrence. All patients with successful ablation are symptom-free, in sinus rhythm and without antiarrhythmic medications after 1 to 28 months of follow-up. Our initial experience support that radiofrequency catheter ablation is a safe and effective therapeutic option for incessant atrial tachycardia.