BACKGROUND Multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) can be useful before percutaneous mitral annuloplasty (PMA) procedures to visualize the relations between the mitral valve (MV), left circumflex artery (LCx) and coronary sinus (CS). METHODS AND RESULTS We performed a 64-slice MSCT in 196 patients (109 male; age 56.6 ± 11.4) with suspected coronary artery disease. A retrospective scan with ECG...

transcatheter ablation of atrioventricular accessory pathway is the therapy of choice in symptomatic patients. the ablation of posteroseptal accessory pathways thas some important points due to its anatomical location. catheter ablation of posteroseptal accessory pathways via left side approach is time consuming with low success rate and higher complications. we performed successful transcathet...

BACKGROUND Multisite atrial pacing (MAP) was introduced to improve atrial electrical synchrony and prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS In the present study there were 57 patients with sinus node disease, AF recurrence and prolonged P-wave on ECG with 2 MAP modalities. In all patients 1 lead was implanted in the coronary sinus (CS) ostium area. In the right atri...

BACKGROUND Association of persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) and sinus venosus-type atrial septal defect (SVASD) is rare. We describe a patient with dilated coronary sinus (CS) found to have PLSVC and SVASD. CASE REPORT The patient is a 60-year-old man with history of stroke who underwent a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) for evaluation of shortness of breath. TTE demonstrated a ma...

BACKGROUND There is little information concerning mapping and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of arrhythmias seen during reinduction of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pharmacological and/or electrical cardioversion in patients with chronic AF and rheumatic heart disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Seventeen patients with rheumatic heart disease and symptomatic chronic AF underwent multisite atrial map...

BACKGROUND The normal sinus pacemaker complex is an extensive structure within the right atrium. We hypothesized that patients with sinus node disease (SND) would have evidence of diffuse atrial abnormalities. METHODS AND RESULTS Sixteen patients with symptomatic SND and 16 age-matched controls were studied. The following were evaluated: effective refractory periods (ERPs) from the high and l...

BACKGROUND To allow performance of "stand-alone" mitral annuloplasty with minimal invasiveness, percutaneous techniques consisting of delivery into the coronary sinus (CS) of devices intended to shrink the mitral valve annulus have recently been tested in animal models. These techniques exploit the anatomic proximity of the CS and mitral valve annulus in ovine or dogs. Knowledge of a detailed a...

We read with great interest the report by Thomas et al describing the use of leadless left ventricular (LV) endocardial pacing in a patient with coronary sinus (CS) atresia. The technique they used was highly sophisticated but necessitated, besides implantation of the LV receiver-electrode, an ultrasound source for energy transmission and a separate battery pack for the ultrasound source. In ou...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to characterize the electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic features and frequency of focal atrial tachycardia (AT) originating from the coronary sinus ostium (CS). BACKGROUND The ostium of the coronary sinus has been described as a site of origin of AT, but detailed characterization of these tachycardias is limited. METHODS Thirteen patients (6.7%)...

Introduction Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) achieved by implanting a lead via the coronary sinus (CS) system significantly improves well-being, symptoms, morbidity, and mortality in appropriately selected populations with advanced heart failure (HF) or pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. Despite improvements in implant technique, lead design, and pacing algorithms, there still remains a sig...