Ventricular arrhythmias near the distal great cardiac vein: challenging arrhythmia for ablation

Catheter ablation for ventricular arrhythmia (VA) near the distal great cardiac vein (GCV) is often challenging, and data are limited.

Analysis was performed in 30 patients (19 men; age, 52.8±15.5 years) who underwent catheter ablation for focal VA (11 ventricular tachycardia and 19 premature contractions) with early activation in the GCV (36.7±8.0 ms pre-QRS). Angiography in 27 patients showed earliest GCV site within 5 mm of a coronary artery in 20 (74%). Ablation was performed in the GCV in 15 patients and abolished VA in 8. Ablation was attempted at adjacent non-GCV sites in 19 patients and abolished VA in 5 patients (4 from the left ventricular endocardium and 1 from the left coronary cusp); all success had VA with an initial r wave in lead I and activation ≤7 ms after the GCV (GCV-non-GCV interval). In 13 patients, percutaneous epicardial mapping was performed, but because of adjacent coronaries only 2 received radiofrequency application with VA elimination in 1. Surgical cryoablation was performed in 3 patients and abolished VA in 2. Overall acute success was achieved in 16 (53%) patients. After a median of 2.8 months, 13 patients remained free of VA. Major complications occurred in 4 patients, including coronary injury requiring stenting.

Ablation for this arrhythmia is challenging and often limited by the adjacent coronary vessels. Success of anatomically guided endocardial ablation may be identified by a short GCV-non-GCV interval and r wave in lead I.