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Atrial flutter with 1:1 atrioventricular conduction is a cardiac arrhythmia difficult to diagnose, fatal in many cases, and unmanageable with drug therapy. A number of 17 patients presenting with this disease was studied. A percentage of 70.6 % presented with throbbings, 64.7 % with syncope and important symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, and angina pectoris. The episode was solved with the use of antiarrythmic agents by endovenous route or electrical cardioversion. Ten patients had associated cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and aortic stenosis. During the follow-up 5 patients were controlled with the use of antiarrythmic drugs. Eleven patients underwent electrophysiologic studies with diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. When the drugs failed to be effective or the crisis of 1:1 atrial flutter was execrable for the patient, an electrical fulguration of the flutter focus (five cases) was performed. Two patients needed antiarrythmic agents even after the procedure and are now asymptomatic. Three cases with nonsuccessful ablation of the focus or associated atrial fibrillation underwent a fulguration of the atrioventricular node. All patients had a satisfactory evolution. This entity is poorly tolerated presenting a great deal of symptoms and the diagnosis and prevention with drugs is very difficult with no pharmacologic therapeutic possibilities.

El flutter auricular con conducción auriculoventricular 1:1 es una arritmia cardiaca difícil de diagnosticar, fatal en muchos casos y rebelde al tratamiento medicamentoso. Se estudiaron 17 pacientes con esta entidad. El 70,6 % presentó palpitaciones, el 64,7 % síncope y el resto síntomas importantes como mareos, sudoración y angina. El episodio se yuguló con antiarrítmicos endovenosos o cardioversión eléctrica. Diez pacientes tenían enfermedades cardiovasculares asociadas como hipertensión arterial, cardiopatía isquémica y estenosis aórtica. En el seguimiento cinco pacientes fueron controlados con fármacos antiarrítmicos. A once se les realizaron estudios electrofisiológicos con objetivos diagnóstico o terapéuticos. Cuando los fármacos fueron inefectivos o la crisis de flutter auricular 1:1 ominosa para el paciente, se realizó fulguración eléctrica del foco del flutter (cinco casos), dos de ellos necesitaron antiarrítmicos, aún después del procedimiento y se han mantenido asintomáticos. A los tres casos con ablación del foco no exitosa o asociación de una fibrilación auricular se les fulguró el nodo auriculoventricular. Todos evolucionaron bien. Esta entidad es mal tolerada, muy sintomática de difícil diagnóstico y prevención con drogas, con posibilidades terapéuticas no farmacológicas. Atrial flutter with 1:1 atrioventricular conduction is a cardiac arrhythmia difficult to diagnose, fatal in many cases, and unmanageable with drug therapy. A number of 17 patients presenting with this disease was studied. A percentage of 70.6 % presented with throbbings, 64.7 % with syncope and important symptoms such as dizziness, sweating, and angina pectoris. The episode was solved with the use of antiarrythmic agents by endovenous route or electrical cardioversion. Ten patients had associated cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and aortic stenosis. During the follow-up 5 patients were controlled with the use of antiarrythmic drugs. Eleven patients underwent electrophysiologic studies with diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. When the drugs failed to be effective or the crisis of 1:1 atrial flutter was execrable for the patient, an electrical fulguration of the flutter focus (five cases) was performed. Two patients needed antiarrythmic agents even after the procedure and are now asymptomatic. Three cases with nonsuccessful ablation of the focus or associated atrial fibrillation underwent a fulguration of the atrioventricular node. All patients had a satisfactory evolution. This entity is poorly tolerated presenting a great deal of symptoms and the diagnosis and prevention with drugs is very difficult with no pharmacologic therapeutic possibilities.