Catheter ablation of permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia with radiofrequency current

This study evaluated accessory pathway location, its relation to retrograde P wave polarity on the surface electrocardiogram and radiofrequency ablation efficacy and safety in a large group of patients with permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia.

Permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia is an uncommon form of reciprocating tachycardia, almost incessant from infancy and usually refractory to drug therapy. It is characterized by RP > PR interval and usually by negative P waves in leads II, III, aVF and V4 to V6. Retrograde conduction occurs through an accessory pathway with slow and decremental properties. Although this accessory pathway has been classically located in the posteroseptal zone, other locations have been recently reported.

The study included 32 patients (20 men, 12 women, mean [+/- SD] age 29 +/- 15 years) with a diagnosis of permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia confirmed at electrophysiologic study. Seven patients had depressed left ventricular function. Radiofrequency energy was applied at the site of the earliest retrograde atrial activation during tachycardia.

There were 33 accessory pathways. The site of the earliest retrograde atrial activation was posteroseptal in 25 patients (76%), midseptal in 4 (12%), right posterior in 1 (3%), right lateral in 1 (3%), left posterior in 1 (3%) and left lateral in 1 (3%). Thirty pathways were ablated with a right approach; in 11 patients with posteroseptal pathway the ablation was performed through the coronary sinus. Three pathways were ablated with a left approach. Positive retrograde P wave in lead I suggested that ablation could be performed from the right side; if negative, it did not exclude ablation from this approach. All the accessory pathways were successfully ablated, with a median of 3 and a mean of 5.6 +/- 5 radiofrequency applications of 70 +/- 26 s in duration. In two patients with the accessory pathway in the midseptal zone, a transient second- and third-degree atrioventricular block, respectively, was observed after ablation. At a mean follow-up of 18 +/- 12 months, 31 patients (97%) are asymptomatic without antiarrhythmic therapy (95% confidence interval [CI] 84% to 99%). Recurrences were observed in four patients (13%) (95% CI 4% to 29%), three of whom had the accessory pathway ablated successfully at a second session. All patients with depressed left ventricular function showed a marked improvement after successful ablation.

In our experience, most of the patients with permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia had posteroseptal pathways; all these pathways were ablated from the right side. P wave configuration may be helpful in suggesting the approach to the site of ablation. Catheter ablation using radiofrequency energy is an effective therapy for permanent junctional reciprocating tachycardia.