In this issue of EUROPACE, Blanc et al. [1] present data from one of the five PIPAF (Pacing in Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation) studies which assess the effects of pacing on prevention of atrial tachyarrhythmias (ATs) using different atrial pacing sites (conventional sites, septal, dual site right atrial and biatrial) alone or in combination with one or more dedicated pacing algorithms [2]. T...

Restoration of sinus rhythm by electrical cardioversion is a therapeutic option in appropriately selected patients with atrial fibrillation. It is important to determine predictors of electrical cardioversion outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation. Predictive value of clinical and conventional echocardiographic parameters for predicting cardioversion outcome is limited. The role of left a...

• Received: October 2, 2015 • Revised: November 14, 2015 • Accepted: May 10, 2016 • Address for Correspondence: Christodoulos E. Papadopoulos, 3rd Cardiology Department, Hippokrateio University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Konstantinoupoleos 49 Str, Thessaloniki 54642, Greece Tel: +30-2310-992818, Fax: +30-2310-223330, E-mail: [email protected] • This is an Open Access article...

Introduction Ectopic atrial tachycardia occurs at a rate of 5%–20% among children with supraventricular tachycardia. Atrial appendages are the most frequent focus in children, differing from the situation in adults. However, ectopic atrial tachycardia originating from aneurysms of the right atrial appendage is very rare and in fact has not yet been clearly defined. We describe 3 cases of childr...

In the course of studies on the aetiology of rheumatic fever, a number of biopsied rheumatic tissues have been grown in antibiotic-free tissue culture systems, with nonrheumatic tissues as controls. Kuttner (1958) attempted, without success, to demonstrate a viral agent in left atrial appendage grown in media containing antibiotics. Weiss, Florio, and Lewis (1958) grew heart and skin from rheum...

OBJECTIVE Left atrial blood stasis is associated with increased risk for left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) and stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF). Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is associated with thromboembolism in AF. VWF thrombogenic activity is proportional to multimer size, which is regulated by VWF-cleaving protease (ADAMTS13). METHODS AND RESULTS To assess the association between left...

Thromboembolic stroke is the most serious complication in patients suffering from Atrial Fibrillation. Atrial thrombi have a predilection to form in the left atrial appendage. Accordingly, oral anticoagulation is recommended for patients with high risk of stroke. However, it is widely underused and problems of compliance are associated with serious risk of bleeding or inefficacy. In these patie...

OBJECTIVE To compare the value of current transthoracic echocardiographic systems and transoesophageal echocardiography for assessing left atrial appendage function and imaging thrombi. DESIGN Single blind prospective study. Patients were first investigated by transthoracic echocardiography and thereafter by a second investigator using transoesophageal echocardiography. The feasibility of ima...

AIM We validated transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of left atrial appendage flow velocity by comparing them with transoesophageal echocardiographic measurements. METHODS AND RESULTS Eighty-four consecutive patients (mean age, 64.6 years) with various cardiac diseases, who underwent both transthoracic echocardiography and transoesophageal echocardiography were studied. Thirty-two pa...

A safe, easy, and quick access into the pericardial space may provide a window for diagnostics and therapeutics to the heart. The objective of this study was to provide proof of concept for an engagement and access catheter that allows access to the pericardial space percutaneously. A multilumen catheter was developed to allow navigation and suction fixation to the right atrial appendage/wall i...