Introduction Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has shown a significant clinical benefit over right ventricular pacing in patients with left ventricular dysfunction and a high ventricular pacing requirement. Traditionally, CRT has relied on coronary sinus (CS) lead placement through the use of fluoroscopy and venography. Three-dimensional (3D) electroanatomic mapping has been used as an al...

We report a case of typical counterclockwise atrial flutter (AFL) with conduction block from right to left atrium along the coronary sinus (CS) musculature, confirmed by discontinuous CS activation sequence during pacing near the ostium and differential right atrial pacing. AFL was associated with an atypical flutter wave morphology, due to the detour of the activation wavefront from right to l...

PURPOSE To investigate the coronary venous system and its relation to adjacent structures using 256-slice computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study consisted of 102 patients who underwent coronary CT angiography (CTA) using 256-slice CT. For each patient, the coronary venous system and its relation to adjacent structures were evaluated. The appropriate locations and diameters ...

Cannulation of the coronary sinus (CS) is sometimes difficult due to the presence of anatomical anomalies. Fluoroscopy is of limited value in visualizing these variations. This case is the first to demonstrate how intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) allows visualization of a valve, which is one of the causes of problematic cannulation of the CS. Based on information obtained by ICE an appropria...

BACKGROUND It is unclear whether coronary artery stenosis affects the secretion of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) from the heart independent of ventricular dysfunction. Therefore, this study evaluated the relationship between BNP and NT-proBNP secretion, plasma levels and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with stable c...

OBJECTIVE In subsets of patients paroxysmal firing of ectopic foci in pulmonary veins or coronary sinus is an important cause of atrial fibrillation. This appears to represent a rare event overriding a dominant sinus mechanism to alter the rhythmic firing of the atrium. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that a rare stimulation pattern might alter the myocardial substrate, making it more susceptib...

The effect of hypercapnia on coronary vascular resistance (CVR) was studied in seven open-chest dogs. Coronary blood flow was supplied to the cannulated left main coronary artery from the femoral artery by a precision pump. Coronary arterial PCO2 was locally controlled with a small membrane oxygenator in the coronary perfusion circuit. Each PCO2 change was made at a constant coronary flow, and ...

The effect of hypercapnia on coronary vascular resistance (CVR) was studied in seven open-chest dogs. Coronary blood flow was supplied to the cannulated left main coronary artery from the femoral artery by a precision pump. Coronary arterial Pco, was locally controlled with a small membrane oxygenator in the coronary perfusion circuit. Each Pco, change was made at a constant coronary flow, and ...

The study by Jadidi et al1 described the locations of areas of continuously fractionated atrial electrograms during atrial fibrillation (AF) using high-resolution endocardial mapping in 9 patients with paroxysmal AF and 9 patients with persistent AF. This study then correlated these areas with the locations of fractionated atrial potentials during sinus rhythm and coronary sinus (CS) pacing in ...

BACKGROUND Soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) level is a novel biomarker for diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS); however, this level in the coronary circulation has yet to be examined. METHODS Twenty-seven consecutive patients with ACS and 40 patients with effort angina pectoris (EAP) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) had levels o...