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Circulation, Vol 78, 246-257, Copyright © 1988 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Transcatheter electrical ablation of right bundle branch. A method of treating macroreentrant ventricular tachycardia attributed to bundle branch reentry

P Tchou, M Jazayeri, S Denker, J Dongas, J Caceres and M Akhtar
Electrophysiology Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Sinai Samaritan Medical Center, Milwaukee 53233.

The present study describes the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of sustained bundle branch reentrant ventricular tachycardia treated with electrical ablation of the right bundle branch. Seven patients presented with syncopal episodes, and six of the seven had documented episodes of ventricular tachycardia. All patients had depressed left ventricular ejection fraction with cardiomegaly. Six of the seven had dilated cardiomyopathy in the absence of significant coronary disease. Twelve-lead electrocardiograms in all seven patients during sinus rhythm were remarkably similar; six demonstrated intraventricular conduction defect resembling left bundle branch block, and one showed left anterior fascicular block. All patients showed prolonged His-to-ventricle intervals during sinus rhythm. Sustained ventricular tachycardia (with atrioventricular dissociation) because of bundle branch reentry was induced in all patients during baseline electrophysiological study. The His-to-ventricle intervals during tachycardia were similar to those seen during sinus rhythm. Electrical ablation of the right bundle branch was accomplished in each patient with delivery of two electrical shocks (170-310 J) through electrode catheters. Right bundle branch block developed on their surface electrocardiogram immediately after the ablation. Follow-up electrophysiological studies showed no inducible ventricular tachycardia. Clinical follow-up showed no recurrence of syncope or ventricular tachycardia. From the data presented, the following can be concluded. First, right bundle branch ablation is a safe and promising means of treating ventricular tachycardia because of bundle branch reentry and can obviate the need for antiarrhythmic drug therapy and its frequent undesirable side effects. Second, there are common clinical and electrophysiological characteristics that are frequently seen in patients with this tachycardia, and the recognition of these common characteristics should alert the physician to a bundle branch reentrant mechanism of ventricular tachycardia.

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