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(Circulation. 2004;109:1523-1529.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Clinical Investigation and Reports

Relation Between Pulmonary Vein Firing and Extent of Left Atrial–Pulmonary Vein Connection in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, PhD; Hiroshi Aoyama, MD, PhD; Karen J. Beckman, MD; Sunny S. Po, MD, PhD; Richard Wu, MD; Deborah Lockwood, MABMBCh; Peter Spector, MD; James D. Calame, RN; Daniel L. Lustgarten, MD, PhD; Lisa Herring, RN; Can Hasdemir, MD; Dalip Singh, MD; Ralph Lazzara, MD; Warren M. Jackman, MD

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

Correspondence to Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD, PhD, Cardiac Arrhythmia Research Institute, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1200 Everett Drive (TUH-6E-103), Oklahoma City, OK 73104. E-mail hiroshi-nakagawa{at}ouhsc.edu

Received July 29, 2003; de novo received October 8, 2003; revision received December 12, 2003; accepted January 8, 2004.

Background— The purpose of this study was to measure the extent of left atrial–pulmonary vein (LA-PV) connections and determine the relation to PV firing in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods and Results— Ten close-bipolar (1 mm-spacing) Lasso electrograms were recorded circumferentially around 210 PVs (excluding 2 right middle PVs and 4 left common trunks) in 62 patients with AF. PV firing was provoked by isoproterenol (4 µg/min) and cardioversion of pacing-induced AF. The width of each LA-PV connection was measured in tenths of PV circumference, based on number of continuous close-bipolar Lasso electrode sites required for ablation (10% for each close-bipolar electrode site). One, 2, or 3 to 4 discrete LA-PV connections (discrete connection defined by ablation along 10% to 30% of PV circumference) were present in 18 (9%), 31 (14%), and 32 (15%) of 210 PVs, respectively: 1 broad connection (ablation along continuous 40% to 80% circumference) in 46 (22%) PVs; 1 broad plus other broad or discrete connections in 54 (26%) PVs; and a circumferential connection (ablation along 90% to 100%) in 29 (14%) PVs. Circumferential LA-PV connections were more common in superior than in inferior PVs (20% versus 7%, P<0.01). There was no major difference in distribution of the other types of LA-PV connections between the four PVs. PV firing occurred in 27%, 47%, and 72% of PVs with discrete only, broad and circumferential connections, respectively (P<0.01). Dissociated PV potentials after isolation were more common in arrhythmogenic (firing) PVs (32% versus 8%, P<0.01).

Conclusions— The extent of LA-PV connections corresponds with arrhythmognesis. The incidence of PV firing increases with progressively wider LA-PV connections (discrete versus broad versus circumferential).

Key Words: arrhythmia • atrium • fibrillation • catheter ablation • veins

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