Atrial fibrillation fundamentals: from physiopathology to transcatheter ablation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common and harmful arrhythmia. Its complex pathogenesis can be outlined using Coumel's Triangle, that considers at the base of AF three different factors: substrate, trigger, and catalyst factor. The triangle can serve as a guide to understand the mechanism of action of the different possible treatments. Anti-arrhythmic drug therapies have a modest efficacy and no proven benefit on prognosis. Interventional therapy is more effective, especially if employed in the first stages of the disease, and can reduce mortality in selected populations. Ablative schemes must be different depending on the type of AF (paroxysmal, persistent) and the presence or absence of atrial dilation.