The roles of pre–P-wave versus peri–P-wave fractionated electrograms for atrial substrate beyond entrainment response

Abstract

Atrial tachycardia (AT) with alternating cycle lengths is sparsely reported, and, hence, the ideal mapping strategy has not been firmly established. Beyond the entrainment during tachycardia, some fragmentation characteristics might also give important clues for its possible participation in the macro–re-entrant circuit. We discuss a patient with prior atrial septal defect surgical closures who presented with dual macro–re-entrant ATs related to a fragmented area on the right atrial free wall (240 ms) and the cavotricuspid isthmus (260 ms), respectively. After ablation of the fastest AT on the lateral right atrial free wall, the cycle of the first AT changed to the second AT that was interrupted on cavotricuspid isthmus, proving the dual tachycardia mechanism. This case report addresses the utilization of electroanatomic mapping information as well as fractionated electrogram timing with respect to the surface P-wave as guides for ablation location.