Relationship between arrhythmogenic pulmonary veins and the surrounding atrial substrate in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: The relationship between pulmonary veins (PVs) with atrial fibrillation (AF) initiating triggers and their surrounding atrial substrate has not been elucidated. We aimed to clarify the atrial substrate properties around the PVs.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-three paroxysmal AF patients were studied with the identification of PV initiating triggers. High-density mapping of the dominant frequency (DF, 1200 Hz) and the mean degree of the complex fractionated electrograms (CFE mean interval over 6 seconds) was evaluated in 2 zones (zone 1: < 5 mm, zone 2: 5-15 mm from the PVs) and the left atrial (LA) using a NavX system prior to the PV isolation. High-DFs (>8 Hz) and continuous CFEs (<50 ms) were identified in 1.5 ± 0.9 and 2.3 ± 1.1 regions per patient, respectively. Most of the high-DF regions (86%) and continuous CFE regions (77%) were located within 15 mm of the PV ostia. Of those, 75% of the high-DF regions and 54% of the continuous CFE regions were related to arrhythmogenic PVs. There was a significant DF gradient from arrhythmogenic PV zone 1 to zone 2, while the mean CFE exhibited a significant gradient between arrhythmogenic PV zone 2 and the rest of the LA. Additionally, 69% of the procedural AF termination sites were at arrhythmogenic PV zone 2.

CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the atrial substrate properties may be useful for locating arrhythmogenic PVs during AF and defining the extent of the circumferential PV isolation.