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PMID: 9870011 Published · ppublish English Comparative Study Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Electrophysiologic characteristics of a dilated atrium in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing ·Vol. 2 ·No. 2 ·1998-06-00 ·Pages 181-6

Chen YJ, Chen SA, Tai CT, Yu WC, Feng AN, Ding YA, Chang MS

Abstract

This study investigated the difference of atrial electrophysiologic characteristics between a normal and dilated atrium and compared them among patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and flutter. Twenty-seven patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 28 patients with paroxysmal atrial flutter were divided into four subgroups, according to the presence of a normal atrium or bilateral atrial enlargement. Thirty patients without atrial arrhythmia (20 patients with normal atrium and 10 patients with bilateral atrial enlargement) were included in control group. The atrial refractoriness in patients with a dilated atrium was longer than those with normal atrial size. In patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and patients of control group, the P-wave duration and interatrial conduction velocity with or without atrial enlargement were similar. However, in patients with paroxysmal atrial flutter, P-APCS (86 +/- 10 ms vs. 73 +/- 9 ms, p < 0.05) and P-ADCS (109 +/- 9 ms vs. 95 +/- 9 ms, p < 0.05) in patients with a dilated atrium were longer than in patients with a normal atrium. The patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter all demonstrated longer P-wave duration and interatrial conduction time than control group. Among the groups with a normal atrium or a dilated atrium, atrial refractoriness in patients with paroxysmal atrial flutter was shorter than that in control group. Moreover, in the patients with a normal atrium, the potential minimal wavelength in control group (6.6 +/- 1.7) was longer than that of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (5.3 +/- 1.1), or atrial flutter (5.0 +/- 1.2). These findings suggest that atrial electrophysiologic characteristics of a dilated atrium were different from those of normal atrium, and these changes were different between paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and flutter. Multiple factors are considered to be related to the genesis of atrial tachyarrhythmias.

MeSH Terms

Aged Atrial Fibrillation/physiopathology Atrial Flutter/physiopathology Atrial Function/physiology Cardiomegaly/physiopathology Dilatation, Pathologic/physiopathology Electrocardiography Female Heart Atria Humans Male Neural Conduction/physiology Refractory Period, Electrophysiological/physiology Risk Factors Tachycardia/etiology,physiopathology Time Factors

Authors & Affiliations

7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID

Chen Y J

Department of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.

Chen S A

Tai C T

Yu W C

Feng A N

Ding Y A

Chang M S

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Article Info

Journal

Journal of interventional cardiac electrophysiology : an international journal of arrhythmias and pacing

Abbr.

J Interv Card Electrophysiol

ISSN

1383-875X

DOI

10.1023/a:1009759717250

Published

1998-06-00

Pages

181-6

Language

English

Region

Netherlands

NLM ID

9708966

Subset

External Links

PubMed source DOI: 10.1023/a:1009759717250 View journal details

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Electrophysiologic characteristics of a dilated atrium in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

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