Published Online
on August 26, 2002

A more recent version of this article appeared on September 10, 2002

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Submitted on October 22, 2001
Revised on June 19, 2002
Accepted on June 19, 2002

Coronary Sinus-Ventricular Accessory Connections Producing Posteroseptal and Left Posterior Accessory Pathways. Incidence and Electrophysiological Identification

Yingxian Sun MD, Mauricio Arruda MD, Kenichiro Otomo MD, Karen Beckman MD, Hiroshi Nakagawa MD, PhD, James Calame RN, Sunny Po MD, PhD, Peter Spector MD, Daniel Lustgarten MD, PhD, Lisa Herring RN, Ralph Lazzara MD, and Warren Jackman MD^*

From the Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Institute and Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: warren-jackman{at}ouhsc.edu.

Background—The coronary sinus (CS) has a myocardial coat (CSMC) with extensive connections to the left and right atria. We postulated that some posteroseptal and left posterior accessory pathways (CSAPs) result from connections between a cuff of CSMC extending along the middle cardiac vein (MCV) or posterior coronary vein (PCV) and the ventricle. The purpose of the present study was to use CS angiography and mapping to define and determine the incidence of CSAPs and determine the relationship to CS anatomy.

Methods and Results—CSAP was defined by accessory pathway (AP) potential or earliest activation in the MCV or PCV and late activation at anular endocardial sites. A CSAP was identified in 171 of 480 patients undergoing ablation of a posteroseptal or left posterior AP. CS angiography revealed a CS diverticulum in 36 (21%) and fusiform or bulbous enlargement of the small cardiac vein, MCV, or CS in 15 (9%) patients. The remaining 120 (70%) patients had an angiographically normal CS. A CSMC extension potential (CSE), like an AP potential, was recorded in the MCV in 98 (82%), in the PCV in 13 (11%), in both the MCV and PCV in 6 (5%), and in the CS in 3 (2%) of 120 patients. CSMC potentials were recorded between the timing of atrial and CSE potentials.

Conclusions—CSAPs result from a connection between a CSMC extension (along the MCV or PCV) and the ventricle. The CS is angiographically normal in most patients.

Key words: Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome • coronary sinus • angiography

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