Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology
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J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. · Sep 2007
Comparative StudySpontaneous pulmonary vein firing in man: relationship to tachycardia-pause early afterdepolarizations and triggered arrhythmia in canine pulmonary veins in vitro.
Rapid firing originating within pulmonary veins (PVs) initiates atrial fibrillation (AF). The following studies were performed to evaluate spontaneous PV firing in patients with AF to distinguish focal versus reentrant mechanisms. ⋯ The studies demonstrate (1) tachycardia-pause initiation of rapid, short-coupled PV firing in AF patients and (2) tachycardia-pause facilitation of isometric force, EAD formation, and autonomic-dependent triggered firing within canine PVs, suggestive of a common arrhythmia mechanism.
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J. Cardiovasc. Electrophysiol. · Sep 2007
Comparative StudyClose relationship between the bronchi and pulmonary veins: implications for the prevention of atriobronchial fistula after atrial fibrillation ablation.
Atrio-bronchial fistula (ABF) can be a rare but potentially lethal complication following the catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Understanding the extent of the contact between the bronchial tree and pulmonary veins (PVs) is critical to avoid this complication. We investigated the anatomic relationship between the four PVs and bronchial tree using multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) images. ⋯ Isolation of the superior PVs may carry the potential risk of bronchial damage. The clinical or anatomic characteristics associated with the proximal contact between the bronchi and superior PVs can provide useful information to prevent this complication.