OBJECTIVES We sought to study atrial vulnerability in patients with Brugada syndrome. BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) often occurs in patients with Brugada syndrome, but atrial vulnerability in Brugada syndrome has not been evaluated. METHODS The patient group consisted of 18 patients with Brugada syndrome. The control group consisted of 12 age- and gender-matched subjects who had neith...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Atrial septal abnormalities have been associated with cryptogenic ischemic stroke in young patients, but the causal link has not yet been established. Paradoxical embolism is considered the most likely mechanism but is rarely proven. It can be hypothesized that, in those patients, paroxysmal atrial arrhythmias, potentially favored by the anatomic abnormalities, can be ano...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there is significant atrial or atrial appendage enlargement or functional remodelling as a result of one to two months of sustained atrial fibrillation, a duration similar to that experienced by patients undergoing warfarin anticoagulation before elective cardioversion. METHODS To test the hypothesis that left atrial and left atrial appendage enlargement develop...

Background: Electrical cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation is followed by a transiently impaired atrial mechanical function, termed atrial stunning. During atrial stunning, a retained risk of left atrial thrombus formation exists, which may be attributed to abnormal left atrial blood flow patterns. 4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) enables blood flow assessment from...

AIMS Surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation is now feasible in selective cases. The aim of this study was to assess the electrophysiological properties of patients undergoing atrial compartment operation for chronic atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS Electrophysiological studies were performed in 20 mitral valve patients with atrial fibrillation who had been maintained in sinus rhyt...

Background Previous reports have shown that radiofrequency ablation can terminate atrial flutter and prevent recurrences. However, different methods have been used, and the current experience remains limited. The objective of the present study was to determine the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of atrial tissue in patients with atrial flutter using an anatomically guided approach. Methods ...

In addition to standard ventricular therapy, cardioversion using an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) with atrial therapy is one of the many new options available for treating atrial tachyarrhythmias. New data suggest that shock efficacy for AF depends on identifying atrial defibrillation thresholds (DFT) and programming the first atrial shock to at least two times the atrial DFT [1]...

was initially decided to induce atrial fibrillation as necessary with the use of a permanent radiofrequency-controlled atrial pacemaker. Several days after implantation of the pacemaker, however, rapid atrial pacing produced atrial tachycardia with atrioventricular block rather than atrial fibrillation. Despite this apparent failure, the ventricular rate has been adequately controlled by rapid ...

Atrial remodeling is a term introduced in 1995 to describe alterations in atrial structure or function. Atrial electrical remodeling is characterized by a reduction of refractory period and action potential duration, dispersion in refractoriness, and a reduction in conduction velocity of impulse propagation. Numerous animal and human studies have demonstrated that atrial electrical remodeling i...

was initially decided to induce atrial fibrillation as necessary with the use of a permanent radiofrequency-controlled atrial pacemaker. Several days after implantation of the pacemaker, however, rapid atrial pacing produced atrial tachycardia with atrioventricular block rather than atrial fibrillation. Despite this apparent failure, the ventricular rate has been adequately controlled by rapid ...