Cryoablation of a nodoventricular Mahaim fiber
John Papagiannis1, Leonidas Vachtsevanos, Spyridon Rammos
1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece, and Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, USA. papagi@otenet.gr
Abstract:
An 11-year old female presented with paroxysmal tachycardia and was diagnosed with a Mahaim fiber during electrophysiologic study. A preexcited tachycardia and the typical variety of AV nodal reentry tachycardia were induced at different times. During preexcited tachycardia, the His bundle electrogram followed the ventricular electrogram, and, introduction of atrial premature beats at different coupling intervals, advanced the peri-AV nodal atrial tissue, with no change in the ventricular cycle length, leading to a diagnosis of an antidromic tachycardia due to a nodoventricular fiber. Cryoablation at a mid-septal location under three-dimensional guidance successfully eliminated both tachycardias without detrimental effects to the AV node.


