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Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Uncommon atrial flutter: characteristics, mechanisms, and results of ablative therapy
J A Gomes1, F Santoni-Rugiu, D Mehta
1Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA. ANTHONY GOMES@smtplink.mssm.edu
Abstract:
Thirty-seven patients with atrial flutter were studied with catheter mapping and radiofrequency ablation. Uncommon atrial flutter occurred in 20 out of 37 (54%) patients. Atrial endocardial mapping showed two types of uncommon atrial flutter. In 15 patients (group I) it was characterized by a single clockwise circuit whereas in 5 patients (Group II) it was characterized by the presence of more than one circuit and/or localized atrial fibrillation. RFA ablation was acutely successful in 14 out of 15 patients (93%) in Group I and in 2 out of 5 (40%) patients in Group II. On long-term follow-up a significantly larger number of patients in Group I versus Group II (86% vs 20%) remained free of atrial flutter recurrence. We conclude that uncommon atrial flutter is a heterogeneous entity involving one or more reentrant circuits. Uncommon atrial flutter with multiple circuits may not be suitable for RFA.
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