Spatial and transmural properties of the reentrant ventricular tachycardia circuit in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy: Simultaneous epicardial and endocardial recordings

Heart Rhythm. 2021 Jun;18(6):916-925. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2021.01.028. Epub 2021 Jan 30.

Abstract

Background: While advances in the characterization of the structural substrate in arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) have been made, the ventricular tachycardia (VT) circuit remains incompletely described.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to delineate the reentrant VT circuit with simultaneous epicardial and endocardial mapping (SEEM) in ARVC.

Methods: Twenty-three consecutive patients with ARVC and VT underwent SEEM at 4 centers between 2014 and 2020. Retrospective analysis was performed on combined isochronal activation maps.

Results: Of the 30 VT circuits, 24 were delineated with SEEM (956 [341-1843] endocardial points and 1763 [882-3054] epicardial points). The apex and outflow tract rarely harbored VT circuits, with 50% distributed in the inferior wall and 43% in the free wall. The entire tachycardia cycle length was recorded from the epicardium in 71% of circuits. In all circuits, a large proportion of the tachycardia cycle length was recorded from the epicardium relative to the endocardium. Localized epicardial reentry was observed in 35% of patients (14 mm × 15 mm), which was associated with smaller endocardial low voltage area (39 cm2 vs 104 cm2; P = .002) and preserved right ventricular ejection fraction (35% vs 25%; P = .046) compared with those with larger circuit dimensions. Seventy percent of termination sites were achieved from the epicardium.

Conclusion: High-resolution recordings from both myocardial surfaces confirm a consistent predominance of epicardial participation during reentry in ARVC. Only the perivalvular inflow region of the "triangle of dysplasia" had a strong propensity to harbor VT circuits, with the greatest proportion located in the inferior wall. Localized epicardial reentry may be a manifestation of earlier stage disease with a relative paucity of endocardial substrate.

Keywords: Ablation; Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy; Electroanatomic mapping; Epicardium; Reentry; Ventricular tachycardia.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / etiology
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / physiopathology*
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / surgery
  • Catheter Ablation / methods*
  • Epicardial Mapping / methods*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / complications
  • Tachycardia, Ventricular / physiopathology*
  • Young Adult