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Ventricular arrhythmias present with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, from mildly symptomatic frequent premature ventricular contractions to life-threatening events. Pathophysiologically, idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias occur in the absence of structural heart disease or ion channelopathies. Ventricular arrhythmias in the context of structural heart disease are usually determined by scar-related reentry and are associated with increased mortality. Catheter ablation is safe and highly effective in treating ventricular arrhythmias. The proper characterization of the arrhythmogenic substrate is essential for accurate procedural planning. We provide an overview on the main mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias and their implications for catheter ablation.

Background Typical late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) patterns in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) include intramyocardial and subepicardial distribution. However, the ischemic pattern of LGE (subendocardial and transmural) has also been reported in DCM without coronar y arter y disease (CAD), but its correlates and prognostic significance are still not known. On these bases, this study sought to describe the prevalence and prognostic significance of the ischemic LGE pattern in DCM. Methods A total of 611 DCM patients with available cardiac magnetic resonance were retrospectively analyzed. A composite of all-cause-death, major ventricular arrhythmias (MVAs), heart transplantation (HTx) or ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation was the primary outcome of the study. Secondary outcomes were a composite of sudden cardiac death or MVAs and a composite of death for refractory heart failure, HTx or VAD implantation. Results Ischemic LGE was found in 7% of DCM patients without significant CAD or history of myocardial infarction, most commonly inferior/inferolateral/anterolateral. Compared to patients with non-ischemic LGE, those with ischemic LGE had higher prevalence of hypertension and atrial fibrillation or flutter. Ischemic LGE was associated with worse long-term outcomes compared to non-ischemic LGE (36% vs 23% risk of primary outcome events at 5 years respectively, P = .006), and remained an independent predictor of primary outcome after adjustment for clinically and statistically significant variables (adjusted hazard ratio 2.059 [1.055-4.015], P = .034 with respect to non-ischemic LGE). Conclusions The ischemic pattern of LGE is not uncommon among DCM patients without CAD and is independently associated with worse long-term outcomes. (Am Heart J 2022;246:117-124.)

There is growing evidence that sodium fluoride ([18F]fluoride) PET/CT can detect active arterial calcifications at the molecular stage. We investigated the relationship between arterial mineralization in the left common carotid artery (LCC) assessed by [18F]fluoride PET/CT and cardiovascular/thromboembolic risk. In total, 128 subjects (mean age 48 ± 14 years, 51% males) were included. [18F]fluoride uptake in the LCC was quantitatively assessed by measuring the blood-pool-corrected maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on each axial slice. Average SUVmax (aSUVmax) was calculated over all slices and correlated with 10-year risk of cardiovascular events estimated by the Framingham model, CHA2DS2-VASc score, and level of physical activity (LPA). The aSUVmax was significantly higher in patients with increased risk of cardiovascular (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.01) and thromboembolic (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.01) events, and it was significantly lower in patients with greater LPA (one-way ANOVA, p = 0.02). On multivariable linear regression analysis, age ( = 0.07, 95% CI 0.05 – 0.10, p < 0.01), body mass index ( = 0.02, 95% CI 0.01 – 0.03, p < 0.01), arterial hypertension ( = 0.15, 95% CI 0.08 – 0.23, p < 0.01), and LPA ( = −0.10, 95% CI −0.19 to −0.02, p=0.02) were independent associations of aSUVmax. Carotid [18F]fluoride uptake is significantly increased in patients with unfavorable cardiovascular and thromboembolic risk profiles. [18F]fluoride PET/CT could become a valuable tool to estimate subjects’ risk of future cardiovascular events although still major trials are needed to further evaluate the associations found in this study and their potential clinical usefulness. • Sodium fluoride ([ 18 F]fluoride) PET/CT imaging identifies patients with early-stage atherosclerosis. • Carotid [ 18 F]fluoride uptake is significantly higher in patients with increased risk of cardiovascular and thromboembolic events and inversely correlated with the level of physical activity. • Early detection of arterial mineralization at a molecular level could help guide clinical decisions in the context of cardiovascular risk assessment.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) scar on late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance has been correlated with life-threatening arrhythmic events in patients with apparently idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). We investigated the prognostic significance of a specific LV-LGE phenotype characterized by a ringlike pattern of fibrosis. Methods: A total of 686 patients with apparently idiopathic nonsustained VA underwent contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance. A ringlike pattern of LV scar was defined as LV subepicardial/midmyocardial LGE involving at least 3 contiguous segments in the same short-axis slice. The end point of the study was time to the composite outcome of all-cause death, resuscitated cardiac arrest because of ventricular fibrillation or hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia and appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy. Results: A total of 28 patients (4%) had a ringlike pattern of scar (group A), 78 (11%) had a non-ringlike pattern (group B), and 580 (85%) had normal cardiac magnetic resonance with no LGE (group C). Group A patients were younger compared with groups B and C (median age, 40 vs 52 vs 45 years; P, SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

In patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) little is known about the clinical impact of catheter ablation (CA) of septal ventricular tachycardia (VT) resulting in the collateral injury of the conduction system (CICS).Ninety-five consecutive patients with NICM underwent CA of septal VT. Outcomes in patients with no baseline conduction abnormalities who developed CICS (group 1, n = 28 [29%]) were compared to patients with no CICS (group 2, n = 17 [18%]) and to patients with preexisting conduction abnormalities or biventricular pacing (group 3, n = 50 [53%]). Group-1 patients were younger, had a higher left ventricular ejection fraction and a lower prevalence of New York Heart Association III/IV class compared to group 3 while no significant differences were observed with group 2. After a median follow-up of 15 months, VT recurred in 14% of patients in group 1, 12% in group 2 (P = .94) and 32% in group 3 (P = .08) while death/transplant occurred in 14% of patients in group 1, 18% in group 2 (P = .69) and 28% in group 3 (P = .15). A worsening of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (median LVEF variation, -5%) was observed in group 1 compared to group 2 (median LVEF variation, 0%; P .01) but not group-3 patients (median LVEF variation, -4%; P = .08) with a consequent higher need for new biventricular pacing in group 1 (43%) compared to group 2 (12%; P = .03) and group 3 (16%; P .01).In patients with NICM and septal substrate, sparing the abnormal substrate harboring the conduction system provides acceptable VT control while preventing a worsening of the systolic function.

This study sought to examine clinical characteristics of procedural and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA) of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OT-VAs) over 16 years.CA is an effective treatment strategy for OT-VAs.Patients undergoing CA for OT-VAs from 1999 to 2015 were divided into 3 periods: 1999 to 2004 (early), 2005 to 2010 (middle), and 2011 to 2015 (recent). Successful ablation site (right ventricular OT, aortic cusps/left ventricular OT, or coronary venous system/epicardium), VA morphology (right bundle branch block or left bundle branch block), and acute and clinical success rates were assessed.Six hundred eighty-two patients (336 female) were included (early: n = 97; middle: n = 204; recent: n = 381). Over time there was increase in use of irrigated ablation catheters and electroanatomic mapping, and more VAs were ablated from the aortic cusp/left ventricular OT or coronary venous system/epicardium (14% vs. 45% vs. 56%; p 0.0001). Acute procedural success was achieved in 585 patients (86%) and was similar between groups (82% vs. 84% vs. 88%; p = 0.27). Clinical success was also similar between groups (86% vs. 87% vs. 88%; p = 0.94), but more patients in earlier periods required repeat ablation (18% vs. 17% vs. 9%; p = 0.02). Overall complication rate was 2% (similar between groups).Over a 16-year period there was an increase in patients undergoing CA for OT-VTs, with more ablations performed at non-right ventricular outflow tract locations using electroanatomic mapping and irrigated-tip catheters. Over time, single procedure success has improved and complications have remained limited.

Background: The substrate for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in left ventricular (LV) nonischemic cardiomyopathy may be epicardial. We assessed the prevalence, location, endocardial electrograms, and VT ablation outcomes in LV nonischemic cardiomyopathy with isolated epicardial substrate. Methods: Forty-seven of 531 (9%) patients with LV nonischemic cardiomyopathy and VT demonstrated normal endocardial (>1.5 mV)/abnormal epicardial bipolar low-voltage area (LVA, Results: Epicardial bipolar LVA (27.3 cm 2 [interquartile range, 15.8–50.0]) localized to basal (40), mid (8), and apical (3) LV with basal inferolateral LV most common (28/47, 60%). Of 44 endocardial maps available, 40 (91%) had endocardial unipolar LVA (24.5 cm 2 [interquartile range, 9.4–68.5]) and 29 (67%) had characteristic normal amplitude endocardial split electrograms opposite the epicardial LVA. At mean of 34 months, the VT-free survival was 55% after one and 72% after multiple procedures. Greater endocardial unipolar LVA than epicardial bipolar LVA (hazard ratio, 10.66 [CI, 2.63–43.12], P =0.001) and number of inducible VTs (hazard ratio, 1.96 [CI, 1.27–3.00], P =0.002) were associated with VT recurrence. Conclusions: In patients with LV nonischemic cardiomyopathy and VT, the substrate may be confined to epicardial and commonly basal inferolateral. LV endocardial unipolar LVA and normal amplitude bipolar split electrograms identify epicardial LVA. Ablation targeting epicardial VT and substrate achieves good long-term VT-free survival. Greater endocardial unipolar than epicardial bipolar LVA and more inducible VTs predict VT recurrence.

IMPORTANCE: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is associated with high mortality in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis (CS), and medical management of CS-associated VT is limited by high failure rates. The role of catheter ablation has been investigated in small, single-center studies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate outcomes associated with VT ablation in patients with CS. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cohort study from the Cardiac Sarcoidosis Consortium registry (2003-2019) included 16 tertiary referral centers in the US, Europe, and Asia. A total of 158 consecutive patients with CS and VT were included (33% female; mean [SD] age, 52 [11] years; 53% with ejection fraction [EF]

Background Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) may be caused by an acute and reversible myocardial injury, a chronic and irreversible myocardial damage, or a primary ventricular arrhythmia. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging may identify myocardial edema (ME), which denotes acute and reversible myocardial damage. We evaluated the arrhythmic outcome of SCA survivors during follow‐up and tested the prognostic role of ME. Methods and Results We included a consecutive series of 101 (71% men, median age 47 years) SCA survivors from 9 collaborative centers who underwent early ( Conclusions ME on early cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which denotes an acute and transient arrhythmogenic substrate, predicted a favorable long‐term arrhythmic outcome of SCA survivors. These findings may have a substantial impact on future guidelines on the management of SCA survivors.

To assess the added value of serial 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) uptake analysis in predicting clinical response to treatment in infectious spondylodiscitis (IS). We sought to analyze changes in quantitative FDG-PET/CT parameters among patients with clinical response or treatment failure and to compare the sensitivity and specificity of serial FDG-PET/CT and MRI in predicting treatment response in IS. This retrospective study consisted of 68 FDG-PET/CT examinations in 34 patients performed before and after at least 2 weeks of antibiotic treatment. Serial MRI scans were available in 32 (94%) patients before and after treatment. FDG-avid lesions were quantified as maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), partial-volume corrected lesion metabolic volume (LMV), and partial-volume corrected lesion metabolic activity (LMA). All FDG-PET/CT parameters significantly decreased in patients with clinical improvement (31/34, 91%, P 15% and > 25% showed 94% and 89% sensitivity and 67% and 100% specificity compared with 37% and 50% of MRI, respectively. Low degree of agreement with clinical response was shown for MRI compared with FDG-PET/CT parameters using the Cohen kappa coefficient. FDG-PET/CT monitoring is a valuable tool to predict clinical response to treatment in IS and has greater sensitivity and specificity compared with MRI.

Background Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are the most common form of ventricular arrhythmia in the general population. While in most cases PVCs represent a primitive phenomenon with benign behavior, in a non-negligible proportion of subjects frequent PVCs may be epiphenomenon of underlying occult heart diseases, requiring special medical attention since they have been resulted linked to increased total and cardiac mortality. Nevertheless, PVCs themselves, when incessantly frequent, may be responsible for left ventricular dysfunction in otherwise normal heart. Aim of this narrative review is to update current knowledge on the general approach to patients with frequent PVCs on the basis of available data, with a special focus on the value of imaging. Hypothesis Routine diagnostic work-up not infrequently miss subtle concealed arrhythmic substrate, leading to erroneously refer to such arrhythmias as to "idiopathic". Methods Literature search of PVCs articles was conducted in PubMed and Scopus electronic database. Results Conflicting data arise from literature about the true clinical significance of idiopathic PVCs. There is growing body of data providing evidence that more advanced non-invasive imaging modalities, such as cardiac magnetic resonance, have an incremental diagnostic and prognostic value. On the other hand, in some cases the prognostic significance of isolated subtle myocardial structural abnormalities in patients with PVCs, still remains area of uncertainty. Conclusion In selected subjects with PVCs and high-risk features for concealed arrhythmic substrate, traditional assessment to rule out the presence of heart disease, including surface ECG and transthoracic echocardiography, should be implemented with more advanced cardiovascular imaging modalities.

This study sought to determine the impact of repeat catheter ablation (CA) prior to hospital discharge based on inducibility of clinical ventricular tachycardia (VT) during noninvasive programmed ventricular stimulation (NIPS).Inducibility of clinical VT during NIPS performed several days after CA identifies patients at high risk of recurrence. The impact of NIPS-guided repeat CA has not been reported.Consecutive patients with structural heart disease undergoing CA of VT followed by NIPS were studied. Clinical VT was defined by comparison with 12-lead electrocardiograms and stored implantable cardioverter-defibrillator electrograms from spontaneous VT episodes. Among those with inducible clinical VT at NIPS, VT-free survival was compared between those in whom ablation was repeated (group 1) versus those in whom ablation was not repeated (group 2) prior to hospital discharge.Among 469 patients (64 ± 12 years of age; 85% males; 60% ischemic), 216 patients (46%) underwent NIPS 3 days (interquartile range: 2 to 4 days) after CA. Clinical VT was induced in 45 patients (21%). Among those 45, CA was repeated in 11 patients (24%). There were no significant differences in baseline clinical or index CA characteristics between groups 1 and 2. Over a median 36-month follow-up, only 1 patient (9%) in group 1 experienced VT recurrence compared to 24 patients (71%) in group 2 (p 0.01). In univariate Cox regression, repeat CA guided by NIPS (hazard ratio: 0.07; 95% confidence interval: 0.01 to 0.58; p = 0.01) was the only predictor of VT-free survival.In patients with inducible clinical VT during post-ablation NIPS, repeat CA was associated with significantly lower risk of subsequent recurrence.

Background Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common valve condition and has been associated with sudden cardiac death. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) from the papillary muscles (PMs) may play a role as triggers for ventricular fibrillation (VF) in these patients. Objectives To characterize the electrophysiological substrate and outcomes of catheter ablation in patients with MVP and PM PVCs. Methods Of 597 patients undergoing ablation of ventricular arrhythmias during the period 2012-2015, we identified 25 patients with MVP and PVCs mapped to the PMs (64% female). PVC-triggered VF was the presentation in 4 patients and a fifth patient died suddenly during follow-up. The left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) was 50.5% ± 11.8% and PVC burden was 24.4% ± 13.1%. A cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed in nine cases and areas of late gadolinium enhancement were found in four of them. A detailed LV voltage map was performed in 11 patients, three of which exhibited bipolar voltage abnormalities. Complete PVC elimination was achieved in 19 (76%) patients and a significant reduction in PVC burden was observed in two (8%). In patients in which the ablation was successful, the PVC burden decreased from 20.4% ± 10.8% to 6.3% ± 9.5% (P = 0.001). In 5/6 patients with depressed LVEF and successful ablation, the LV function improved postablation. No significant differences were identified between patients with and without VF. Conclusions PM PVCs are a source of VF in patients with MVP and can induce PVC-mediated cardiomyopathy that reverses after PVC suppression. Catheter ablation is highly successful with more than 80% PVC elimination or burden reduction.

[Figure: see text].

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in young athletes represents a challenging issue in forensic practice. The pathologist is frequently asked to establish the cause of death basing upon anatomical findings and to evaluate the role of the physician in preparticipation evaluation (PPE) and eligibility decision. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a leading cause of SCD during sport activity. However, in the last few years, forms with predominant or even isolated involvement of the left ventricle (LV) have progressively been correlated with a high risk of SCD. We present a case of SCD in an apparently healthy 19-year-old semi-professional football player. Annual PPEs performed in accordance with international and Italian recommendations, were unremarkable. At autopsy, a 1-cm area of subepicardial fibro-fatty replacement was observed at the postero-lateral wall of the LV. The finding was diagnostic of arrhythmogenic left ventricular cardiomyopathy (ALVC). A review of this rare pathology has been performed under a forensic perspective, focusing on the evaluation of the medico-legal responsibility of the physician in the PPE and on the morphological aspects of the disease. Current diagnostic criteria and recommendations result to be focused on the right ventricular pattern, with a risk of misdiagnosis for isolated LV forms. Furthermore, few detailed autopsies cases concerning ALVC have been published. There is a need, therefore, to study this rare disease with a careful and revised approach.

Background: In Italy, a nationwide full lockdown was declared between March and May 2020 to hinder the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The potential individual health effects of long-term isolation are largely unknown. The current study investigated the arrhythmic consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown in patients with defibrillators (ICDs) living in the province of Ferrara, Italy. Methods: Both the arrhythmias and the delivered ICD therapies as notified by the devices were prospectively collected during the lockdown period (P1) and compared to those occurred during the 10weeks before the lockdown began (P2) and during the same period in 2019 (P3). Changes in outcome over the three study periods were evaluated for significance using McNemar's test. Results: A total of 413 patients were included in the analysis. No differences were found concerning either arrhythmias or shocks or anti-tachycardia pacing. Only the number of patients experiencing non-sustained ventricular tachycardias (NSVTs) during P1 significantly decreased as compared to P2 (p=0.026) and P3 (p=0.009). The subgroup analysis showed a significant decrease in NSVTs during P1 for men (vs. P2, p=0.014; vs. P3, p=0.040) and younger patients (vs. P2, p=0.002; vs. P3, p=0.040) and for ischemic etiology (vs. P2, p=0.003). No arrhythmic deaths occurred during P1. Conclusions: The complete nationwide lockdown, as declared by the Italian government during the first COVID-19 pandemic peak, did not impact on the incidence of arrhythmias in an urban cohort of patients with ICDs.

The number of patients affected by electrical storm has been continuously increasing in emergency departments. Patients are often affected by multiple comorbidities requiring multidisciplinary interventions to achieve a clinical stability. Careful reprogramming of cardiac devices, correction of electrolyte imbalance, knowledge of underlying heart disease and antiarrhythmic drugs in the acute phase play a crucial role. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of pharmacological treatment, latest transcatheter ablation techniques and advanced management of patients with electrical storm.

Background The outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocarditis and life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias (LT-VA) are unclear. The aim of this study was to assess incidence and predictors of recurrence of major arrhythmic events (MAEs) after hospital discharge in such patients. Methods and results We retrospectively analysed 156 patients (median age 44 years; 77% males) discharged with a diagnosis of acute myocarditis and LT-VA from 16 hospitals worldwide. Diagnosis of myocarditis was based on histology or on the combination of increased markers of cardiac injury and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) Lake Louise criteria. MAEs were defined as the relapse, after discharge, of sudden cardiac death (SCD) or ventricular fibrillation defibrillated successfully or sustained ventricular tachycardia (sVT) requiring implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy or synchronized external cardioversion. Median follow-up period was 23 months (first to third quartile [Q1-Q3] 7-60). Fifty-eight (37.2%) patients experienced MAEs after discharge, at a median time of 8 months (Q1-Q3 2.5-24.0 months; 60.3% of MAEs within the first year). At multivariable Cox analysis, variables independently associated to MAEs were presentation with sVT (hazard ratio [HR] 2.90, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38-6.11); late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) involving ≥2 myocardial segments (HR 4.51, 95% CI 2.39-8.53); and absence of positive short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) (HR 2.59, 95% CI 1.40-4.79) at first CMR. Conclusions Among patients discharged with the diagnosis of myocarditis and LT-VA, 37.2% had recurrences of MAEs during follow-up. Initial CMR pattern and sVT at presentation stratify the risk of arrhythmic recurrence.

Background: Filamin C truncating variants ( FLNCtv ) cause a form of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: the mode of presentation, natural history, and risk stratification of FLNCtv remain incompletely explored. We aimed to develop a risk profile for refractory heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias in a multicenter cohort of FLNCtv carriers. Methods: FLNCtv carriers were identified from 10 tertiary care centers for genetic cardiomyopathies. Clinical and outcome data were compiled. Composite outcomes were all-cause mortality/heart transplantation/left ventricle assist device (D/HT/LVAD), nonarrhythmic death/HT/LVAD, and sudden cardiac death/major ventricular arrhythmias. Previously established cohorts of 46 patients with LMNA and 60 with DSP -related arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathies were used for prognostic comparison. Results: Eighty-five patients carrying FLNCtv were included (42±15 years, 53% men, 45% probands). Phenotypes were heterogeneous at presentation: 49% dilated cardiomyopathy, 25% arrhythmogenic left dominant cardiomyopathy, 3% arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular ejection fraction was FLNCtv carriers did not significantly differ from LMNA carriers and DSP carriers. In FLNCtv carriers, left ventricular ejection fraction was associated with the risk of D/HT/LVAD and nonarrhythmic death/HT/LVAD. Conclusions: Among patients referred to tertiary referral centers, FLNCtv arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is phenotypically heterogeneous and characterized by a high risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, which does not seem to be associated with the severity of left ventricular dysfunction.

Background. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging is an established cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) technique for the assessment of myocardial replacement fibrosis. The presence of mid-wall LGE has been described in ~30% of patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and is known to be associated with poor outcome. Conversely, little is known regarding the clinical significance of mid-wall LGE in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, correlates and prognostic role of mid-wall LGE in a consecutive cohort of patients with ICM. Methods and Results. A total of 319 consecutive outpatients with ICM (mean age 64±11 years, 87% males) enrolled in the UHSM CMR Study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02326324) were included. All patients had CMR with LGE imaging and were followed for a median of 13 months (25th–75th percentiles, 6–28 months). The outcome end-point was a composite of cardiovascular death, aborted sudden cardiac death, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy, heart failure hospitalisations, implantation of left ventricular (LV) assist device or occurrence of heart transplant. At CMR with LGE imaging, mean LV ejection was 37±9%, mean ischemic-type LGE expressed as % of LV mass was 16±9%, while mid-wall LGE was observed in 32 (10%) patients. LVEDV index (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.03, p = 0.001) and LV sphericity index (OR 1.04, 95%CI 1.01-1.07, p = 0.024) were the only variables significantly and independently related to the presence of mid-wall LGE. The outcome end-point was documented in 37 (12%) patients. Ischemic-type LGE expressed as % of LV mass (HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.08; p = 0.015) and the presence of mid-wall LGE (HR 4.5, 95% CI 2.2-9.2; p < 0.001) were the only independent predictors of the composite outcome. Furthermore, mid-wall LGE had significant incremental predictive value compared to the extent of ischemic-type LGE (Dχ2 = 16.5, p

Ventricular tachycardia is a major health issue in patients with structural heart disease (SHD). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy has significantly reduced the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in such patients, but on the other hand, it has led to frequent ICD shocks as an emerging problem, being associated with poor quality of life, frequent hospitalizations and increased mortality. Myocardial scar plays a central role in the genesis and maintenance of re-entrant arrhythmias, as the coexistence of surviving myocardial fibres within fibrotic tissue leads to the formation of slow conduction pathways and to a dispersion of activation and refractoriness that constitutes the milieu for ventricular tachycardia circuits. Catheter ablation has repeatedly proven to be well tolerated and highly effective in treating VT and in the last two decades has benefited from continuous efforts to determine ventricular tachycardia mechanisms by integration with a wide range of invasive and noninvasive imaging techniques such as intracardiac echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, multidetector computed tomography and nuclear imaging. Cardiovascular imaging has become a fundamental aid in planning and guiding catheter ablation procedures by integrating structural and electrophysiological information, enabling the ventricular tachycardia arrhythmogenic substrate to be characterized and effective ablation targets to be identified with increasing precision, and allowing the development of new ablation strategies with improved outcomes. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of cardiac imaging in patients undergoing catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia.

The assessment of myocardial fiber deformation with cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) has shown to be promising in terms of prognostic information in several structural heart diseases. However, little is known about its role in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Aims of the present study were: 1) to assess the prognostic role of CMR-FT derived strain parameters in patients with HCM.CMR was performed in 130 consecutive HCM patients (93 males, mean age (54 ± 17 years) with an estimated 5-year risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD)6% according to the HCM Risk-SCD calculator. 2D- and 3D-Global Radial (GRS), Longitudinal (GLS) and Circumferential (GCS) Strain was evaluated by FT analysis. The primary outcome of the study was a composite of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including SCD, resuscitated cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation (VF) or hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia (VT), and hospitalization for heart failure.After a median follow-up of 51.7 (37.1-68.8) months, 4 (3%) patients died (all of them suffered from SCD) and 36 (28%) were hospitalized for heart failure. After multivariable adjustment for clinical and imaging covariates, among all strain parameters, only GLS remained a significant independent predictor of outcome events in both the model including 2D strain (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03-1.23, p = 0.01) and the model including 3D strain (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.30, p = 0.04). The addition of 2D-GLS into the model with clinical and imaging predictors resulted in a significant increase in the C-statistic (from 0.48 to 0.65, p = 0.03).CMR-FT derived GLS is a powerful independent predictor of MACE in patients with HCM, incremental to common clinical and CMR risk factors including left ventricular ejection fraction and late gadolinium enhancement.

There is growing evidence that sodium fluoride ([In total, 128 subjects (mean age 48 ± 14 years, 51% males) were included. [The aSUVmax was significantly higher in patients with increased risk of cardiovascular (one-way ANOVA, p0.01) and thromboembolic (one-way ANOVA, p0.01) events, and it was significantly lower in patients with greater LPA (one-way ANOVA, p = 0.02). On multivariable linear regression analysis, age ( = 0.07, 95% CI 0.05 - 0.10, p0.01), body mass index ( = 0.02, 95% CI 0.01 - 0.03, p0.01), arterial hypertension ( = 0.15, 95% CI 0.08 - 0.23, p0.01), and LPA ( = -0.10, 95% CI -0.19 to -0.02, p=0.02) were independent associations of aSUVmax.Carotid [• Sodium fluoride ([

Aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia and an important risk factor for stroke and heart failure. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature and summarize the performance of mobile health (mHealth) devices in diagnosing and screening for AF. Methods and results We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Forty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were divided into two groups: 28 studies aimed at validating smart devices for AF diagnosis, and 15 studies used smart devices to screen for AF. Evaluated technologies included smartphones, with photoplethysmographic (PPG) pulse waveform measurement or accelerometer sensors, smartbands, external electrodes that can provide a smartphone single-lead electrocardiogram (iECG), such as AliveCor, Zenicor and MyDiagnostick, and earlobe monitor. The accuracy of these devices depended on the technology and the population, AliveCor and smartphone PPG sensors being the most frequent systems analysed. The iECG provided by AliveCor demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity between 66.7% and 98.5% and 99.4% and 99.0%, respectively. The PPG sensors detected AF with a sensitivity of 85.0–100% and a specificity of 93.5–99.0%. The incidence of newly diagnosed arrhythmia ranged from 0.12% in a healthy population to 8% among hospitalized patients. Conclusion Although the evidence for clinical effectiveness is limited, these devices may be useful in detecting AF. While mHealth is growing in popularity, its clinical, economic, and policy implications merit further investigation. More head-to-head comparisons between mHealth and medical devices are needed to establish their comparative effectiveness., info:eu-repo/semantics/published

In patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy, epicardial ablation is critical in targeting epicardial paravalvular substrate. Epicardial access and ablation can be performed safely with attention to epicardial structures, such as the coronary arteries, phrenic nerve, and epicardial fat. This review explores the indications, techniques, complications, and outcomes of epicardial ablation in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Although epicardial ablation adds to the complexity and risk of the ablation procedure, it is a vital tool that, combined with endocardial mapping and ablation, improves outcomes in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy suffering from ventricular arrhythmias.

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) occurring in the absence of structural heart disease or ion channelopathies are referred to as idiopathic. They can clinically present with frequent monomorphic premature ventricular contractions, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), or sustained VT, and generally share a benign prognosis. Approximately 4% to 10% of idiopathic VAs have an epicardial site of origin, represented in most cases by the left ventricular summit and, less frequently, by the cardiac crux. Epicardial foci can be addressed by catheter ablation via the coronary venous system tributaries. In rarer instances, a direct epicardial access from a subxiphoid approach is needed.

Human coronavirus-associated myocarditis is known, and a number of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)-related myocarditis cases have been reported. The pathophysiology of COVID-19-related myocarditis is thought to be a combination of direct viral injury and cardiac damage due to the host's immune response. COVID-19 myocarditis diagnosis should be guided by insights from previous coronavirus and other myocarditis experience. The clinical findings include changes in electrocardiogram and cardiac biomarkers, and impaired cardiac function. When cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is not feasible, cardiac computed tomographic angiography with delayed myocardial imaging may serve to exclude significant coronary artery disease and identify myocardial inflammatory patterns. Because many COVID-19 patients have cardiovascular comorbidities, myocardial infarction should be considered. If the diagnosis remains uncertain, an endomyocardial biopsy may help identify active cardiac infection through viral genome amplification and possibly refine the treatment risks of systemic immunosuppression. Arrhythmias are not uncommon in COVID-19 patients, but the pathophysiology is still speculative. Nevertheless, clinicians should be vigilant to provide prompt monitoring and treatment. The long-term impact of COVID-19 myocarditis, including the majority of mild cases, remains unknown.

The goal of this study was to characterize the relationship between DF, the electroanatomic mapping (EAM) substrate, and outcomes of catheter ablation of VT in NICM.A substantial proportion of patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) do not have scar detectable by cardiac magnetic resonance late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. In these patients, the significance of diffuse fibrosis (DF) detected with TThis study included 51 patients with NICM and VT undergoing catheter ablation (median age 55 years; 77% male subjects) who had no evidence of LGE on pre-procedural cardiac magnetic resonance. Post-contrast TBipolar LVAs were present in 22 (43%) patients (median extent 15 cmIn patients with NICM and no evidence of LGE undergoing catheter ablation of VT, DF estimated by using post-contrast T

Objectives This study sought to investigate the substrate, procedural strategies, safety, and outcomes of catheter ablation (CA) for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with aortic valve replacement (AVR). Background VT ablation in patients with AVR is challenging, particularly when mapping and ablation in the periaortic region are necessary. Methods We identified consecutive patients with mechanical, bioprosthetic, and transcatheter AVR who underwent CA for VT refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs and analyzed VT substrate, approach to LV access, complications, and long-term outcomes. Results Overall, 29 patients (87% men, mean age 67.9 ± 9.8 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 39 ± 10%) with prior AVR (13 mechanical, 15 bioprosthetic, 1 transcatheter AVR) underwent 40 ablations from 2004 to 2016. Left-sided mapping/CA was performed in 27 patients (36 procedures). Access was retrograde aortic in 11 procedures (all bioprosthetic), transseptal in 24 (13 mechanical; 10 bioprosthetic; 1 transcatheter AVR), or transventricular septal in 1. Periaortic bipolar or unipolar scar was detected in all 24 patients in whom detailed periaortic mapping was performed. Clinical VT circuit(s) involved the periaortic region in 10 patients (34%), 2 (7%) had bundle branch re-entry VT, and 17 (59%) had substrate unrelated to AVR. There were 2 major complications (both related to vascular access). Only 2 patients (9.1%) had VT recurrence. Over median follow-up of 12.8 months, 11 patients died (none as a result of recurrent VT). Conclusions Whereas most patients undergoing CA for VT after AVR had VT from substrate unrelated to AVR, periaortic scar is universally present and bundle branch re-entry can be the VT mechanism. CA can be safely performed with excellent long-term VT elimination.

This study sought to examine the impact of periprocedural acute kidney injury (AKI) in scar-related ventricular tachycardia (VT) patients undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) on short- and long-term outcomes.The clinical significance of periprocedural AKI in patients with scar-related VT undergoing RFCA has not been previously investigated.This study included 317 consecutive patients with scar-related VT undergoing RFCA (age: 64 ± 13 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction: 33 ± 13%, 55% ischemic cardiomyopathy). Periprocedural AKI was defined as an absolute increase in creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dl over 48 h or an increase of1.5× the baseline values within 1 week post-procedure.Periprocedural AKI occurred in 31 patients (10%). Independent predictors of AKI included chronic kidney disease (odds ratio [OR]: 3.43; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48 to 7.96; p = 0.004), atrial fibrillation (OR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.01 to 5.78; p = 0.047), and peri-procedural acute hemodynamic decompensation (OR: 3.98; 95% CI: 1.17 to 13.52; p = 0.003). After a median follow-up of 39 months (interquartile range: 6 to 65 months), 95 patients (30%) died. Periprocedural AKI was associated with increased risk of early mortality (within 30 days; hazard ratio [HR]: 9.91; 95% CI: 2.87 to 34.22; p 0.001) and late mortality (within 1 year) (HR: 4.57; 95% CI: 2.08 to 10.05; p 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, AKI remained independently associated with increased risk of early and late mortality (HR: 4.49; 95% CI: 1.1 to 18.36; p = 0.04, and HR: 3.28; 95% CI: 1.43 to 7.49; p = 0.005, respectively).Periprocedural AKI occurs in 10% of patients undergoing RFCA of scar-related VT and is strongly associated with increased risk of early and late post-procedural mortality.

Ventricular Arrhythmias (VAs) may present with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from mildly symptomatic frequent premature ventricular contractions to lifethreatening events such as sustained ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and sudden cardiac death. Myocardial scar plays a central role in the genesis and maintenance of re-entrant arrhythmias which are commonly associated with Structural Heart Diseases (SHD) such as ischemic heart disease, healed myocarditis and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. However, the arrhythmogenic substrate may remain unclear in up to 50% of the cases after a routine diagnostic workup, comprehensive of 12-lead surface ECG, transthoracic echocardiography and coronary angiography/ computed tomography. Whenever any abnormality cannot be identified, VAs are referred as to “idiopathic”. In the last decade, Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging has acquired a growing role in the identification and characterization of myocardial arrhythmogenic substrate, not only being able to accurately and reproducibly quantify biventricular function, but, more importantly, providing information about the presence of myocardial structural abnormalities such as myocardial fatty replacement, myocardial oedema, and necrosis/ fibrosis, which may otherwise remain unrecognized. Moreover, CMR has recently demonstrated to be of great value in guiding interventional treatments, such as radiofrequency ablation, by reliably identifying VA sites of origin and improving long-term outcomes. In the present manuscript, we review the available data regarding the utility of CMR in the workup of apparently “idiopathic” VAs with a special focus on its prognostic relevance and its application in planning and guiding interventional treatments.

INTRODUCTION The characteristics of the epicardial (EPI) substrate responsible for ventricular tachycardia (VT) in ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) are undefined, and data on the long-term outcomes of EPI catheter ablation limited. We evaluated the prevalence, electrophysiologic features, and outcomes of catheter ablation of EPI VT in ICM. METHODS AND RESULTS From December 2010 to June 2013, a total of 13 of 93 (14%) patients with ICM underwent catheter ablation at our institution and had conclusive evidence of critical EPI substrate demonstrated to participate in VT with activation, entrainment and/or pace mapping during sinus rhythm (two other patients underwent EPI mapping but had no optimal ablation targets). The electrophysiologic substrate characteristics and activation/entrainment mapping data were compared with a reference group of ICM patients without evidence of critical EPI substrate (N = 44), defined as a complete procedural success (noninducibility of any VT at programmed stimulation) after endocardial (ENDO)-only ablation. Patients with failed EPI access (N = 2) or history of cardiac surgery (N = 92) were excluded from the study. All 13 patients had evidence of abnormal EPI substrate with fractionated/late/split electrograms and low-bipolar voltage areas. The critical VT ablation sites were all located within the EPI bipolar "dense" scar (

The PAINESD score predicts the risk of periprocedural acute hemodynamic decompensation (AHD) and postprocedural mortality in patients undergoing catheter ablation (CA) of scar-related ventricular tachycardia (VT). The role of prophylactic placement of percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (pLVADs) in high-risk patients is unknown.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of prophylactic use of pLVAD in high-risk patients undergoing CA of scar-related VT.We included 75 patients undergoing CA of scar-related VT in whom a prophylactic pLVAD was implanted because of perceived high risk. The control population was a propensity-matched group of 75 patients who did not undergo prophylactic pLVAD placement. The PAINESD score was used for propensity matching.The median PAINESD score was 13 (41% with score ≥15) in the prophylactic pLVAD group and 12 (40% with score ≥15) in the control group. Periprocedural AHD occurred in 5 patients (7%) in the prophylactic pLVAD group and in 17 patients (23%) in the control group (P.01). The 12-month cumulative incidence of VT was 40% in the prophylactic pLVAD group vs 41% in the control group (P = .97), while the 12-month incidence of death/transplant was 33% vs 66%, respectively (P.01). In multivariable analysis, left ventricular ejection fraction (HR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99, P = .03), chronic kidney disease (HR 2.24, 95% CI 1.35-3.72, P.01), VT recurrence (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.31-4.14, P.01), and prophylactic pLVAD (HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.16-0.49, P .01) were all independently associated with death/transplant.Prophylactic pLVAD placement in high-risk patients undergoing CA of scar-related VT is associated with a reduced risk of AHD and death/transplant during follow-up without affecting VT-free survival.

Objectives This study reports outcomes of bailout atrial balloon septoplasty (ABS) to overcome challenging left atrial (LA) access in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation. Background Transseptal puncture (TSP) and LA access for AF ablation can be challenging in patients with prior atrial septal surgery, percutaneous closure, or scarred septum due to multiple prior TSPs. Methods The study identified patients who underwent AF ablation at 2 ablation centers from 2011 to 2017 with challenging TSP in whom bailout percutaneous ABS was performed to allow LA access. Following TSP, the transseptal sheath could not be advanced to the LA despite multiple attempts or approaches including use of a stiff wire sequentially in the left and right pulmonary veins, use of a stiff pigtail exchange wire advanced in the LA or left ventricle, or sequential dilation with progressively larger diameter long dilators. ABS was performed using a noncompliant balloon (diameter 4 to 10 mm) advanced over a stiff wire deployed in the left superior pulmonary vein, allowing passage of the transseptal sheaths for completion of the AF ablation procedure. Results Fifteen patients (mean age 54.4 ± 15.5 years, 9 women) with challenging TSP (7 patients with prior surgical ASD repair, 2 with percutaneous ASD closure devices, and 13 with ≥1 previous TSP) underwent bailout ABS for AF ablation. After TSP (radiofrequency assisted in 10 cases), ABS was successful and permitted access to the LA for ablation in all patients. Mean time required to perform ABS was 21.3 ± 19.4 min, and mean total procedure time was 241.1 ± 114.6 min (fluoroscopy time 62.0 ± 29.9 min). There were no procedural complications. Conclusions In patients undergoing AF ablation with difficult transseptal access due to scarred, surgically, or percutaneously repaired atrial septum, ABS is a safe and effective bailout strategy to obtain transseptal access.

INTRODUCTION Unipolar voltage mapping through its wider "field of view" can identify substrate deeper to the endocardium on the right ventricular (RV) free wall and left ventricle. The reference value(s) for normal endocardial (ENDO) unipolar voltage (UNI) for the septal aspect of the right ventricle (RV) and the effect of the aortic root that is directly opposed to the posterior septal plane of the RV outflow tract (RVOT) have not been established. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed detailed (185 ± 70, range 127-342 points) RV ENDO UNI maps in 9 patients without structural heart disease; 6 had magnetic resonance (MR) imaging; 5 were males; the mean age was 49 ± 11 years. For MR analysis, the location of the aortic root was defined and its effect on unipolar voltage determined. The UNI voltage on posterior RVOT was lower (mean 6.56 ± 2.33 mV, 95% CI 6.08-7.05), compared to the rest of the septal aspect of RV (mean 8.33 ± 2.34 mV, P

This study reports the long-term outcome of patients with bundle branch re-entrant tachycardia (BBRT) who underwent catheter ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT).BBRT is an uncommon mechanism of VT. Data on long-term outcomes of patients with BBRT treated with catheter ablation are insufficient.Between 2005 and 2016, 32 patients had a sustained VT due to a bundle branch re-entrant mechanism. Diagnosis of BBRT was established per standard published criteria.The mode of presentation was syncope in 17 patients (53%) and palpitations in 15 (47%). BBRT was inducible in all subjects, and successful ablation of the right bundle branch in 19 patients (59%) or the left bundle branch in 13 patients (41%) was performed. During follow-up of 95 ± 36 months, 6 patients (19%) died, 3 of progressive heart failure and 3 of noncardiac causes. Recurrent VT due to BBRT did not occur in any patient. At baseline, 25 patients (78%) had a prolonged HV interval (55 ms) and 7 (22%) had a normal HV interval (≤55 ms). In patients with a normal HV interval, there was only 1 death (due to malignancy), and no one developed heart block during 90 ± 36 months of follow-up. Ten patients (31%) had normal left ventricular (LV) function (LV ejection fraction ≥50%), and 22 (69%) had depressed LV function (LV ejection fraction 50%). No deaths were recorded in patients with normal LV function (5 with no implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) compared with 6 deaths among patients with depressed LV function (n = 22; p = 0.07).Radiofrequency ablation of the bundle branch is an effective therapy for treatment of BBRT. Sustained BBRT can be seen in patients with normal LV systolic function and HV interval with excellent long-term outcomes after ablation.

Background and objective: We reviewed a single-institution experience to verify the impact of surgery during different time intervals on early and late results in the treatment of patients with type A acute aortic dissection (A-AAD). Materials and Methods: From 2004 to 2021, a total of 258 patients underwent repair of A-AAD, patients were equally distributed among three periods: 2004–2010 (Era 1, n = 90), 2011–2016 (Era 2, n = 87), and 2017–2021 (Era 3, n = 81). The primary end-point was to assess whether through the years changes in indications, surgical strategies and techniques and increasing experience have influenced early and late outcomes of A-AAD repair. Results: Axillary artery cannulation was almost routinely used in Eras 2 (86%) and 3 (91%) while one femoral artery was mainly cannulated in Era 1 (91%) (p &lt, 0.01). Retrograde cerebral perfusion was predominantly used in Era 1 (60%) while antegrade cerebral perfusion was preferred in Eras 2 (94%,) and 3 (100%), (p &lt, 0.01). There was a significant increase of arch replacement procedures from Era 1 (11%) to Eras 2 (33%) and 3 (48%) (p &lt, 0.01). A frozen elephant trunk was mainly performed in Era 3. Hospital mortality was 13% in Era 1, 11% in Era 2, and 4% in Era 3 (p = 0.07). Actuarial survival at 3 years is 74%, in Era 1, 78% in Era 2, and 89% in Era 3 (p = 0.05). Conclusions: With increasing experience and a more aggressive approach, including total arch replacement, repair of A-AAD can be performed with low operative mortality in many patients. Patient care and treatment by a specific team organization allows a faster diagnosis and referral for surgery allowing to further improve early and late outcomes.

Postinfarction mechanical dispersion (MD), that is, the regional heterogeneity of myocardial contraction throughout the cardiac cycle, has detrimental effects on left ventricular (LV) function and is related to the occurrence of heart failure and ventricular arrhythmias. However, its prevalence, pathophysiological determinants, and clinical utility are still unknown. The aim of the present study is to clarify these issues. In total, 130 consecutive patients (mean age 60 ± 12 years, 75% male) with a first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were included. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement imaging was performed to assess LV function, infarct size, and microvascular obstruction. Feature-tracking analysis was applied to cine-CMR short-axis images to assess MD, defined as the SD of the time-to-peak circumferential strain of the LV segments expressed as percent cardiac cycle. For comparison purpose, 40 control subjects similar in age and gender to the STEMI group were also included. Patients were followed-up for a median of 95 months; the outcome event was defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, aborted sudden cardiac death, and hospitalization for heart failure. STEMI patients had significantly higher MD compared with controls (12.0 ± 5.35% vs 3.85 ± 0.99%, p0.001). At multivariate analysis, heart rate (β = 0.20, p = 0.008), LV end-systolic volume index (β = 0.37, p0.001), and infarct size (β = 0.23, p = 0.017) were significantly and independently related to MD. The outcome event occurred in 26 (20%) patients. At multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis, MD was significantly and independently related to the outcome event (p0.001). MD provided significant incremental value over the other clinical and CMR variables in predicting the outcome event (p0.001 for the chi-square change). In conclusion, MD after STEMI is a marker of the extent of myocardial damage; its assessment by feature-tracking CMR provides significant, independent, and incremental long-term prognostic information.

This study describes the technique and outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation via a superior approach in patients with interrupted or absent inferior vena cavas (IVCs).In patients with interrupted or absent IVCs, transseptal access cannot be obtained via standard femoral venous access. In these patients, alternative strategies are necessary to permit catheter ablation in the left atrium (LA). This study reports on the outcomes of AF ablation from a superior venous access with a radiofrequency (RF)-assisted transseptal puncture (TSP) technique.This study identified patients with interrupted or absent IVCs who underwent AF ablation via a superior approach at 2 ablation centers from 2010 to 2019.Fifteen patients (mean age: 50.8 ± 11.2 years; 10 men; 10 with paroxysmal AF) with interrupted or absent IVCs underwent AF ablation with transseptal access via a superior approach. Successful TSP was performed either with a manually bent RF transseptal needle (early cases: n = 4) or using a RF wire (late cases: n = 11); this approach permitted LA mapping and ablation in all patients. Mean time required to perform single (n = 8) or double (n = 7) TSP was 16.1 ± 4.8 min, and mean total procedure time was 227.9 ± 120.7 min (fluoroscopy time: 57.0 ± 28.5 min). LA mapping and ablation were successfully performed in all patients.In patients with AF undergoing catheter ablation and who had a standard transseptal approach via femoral venous approach is impossible due to anatomic constraints, RF-assisted transseptal access via a superior approach can be an effective alternative strategy to permit LA mapping and ablation.

The increasing implementation of advanced cardiovascular imaging in the form of cardiac PET/CT has had a significant impact on the management of cardiac sarcoidosis, which continues to evolve. This review summarizes the role of PET/CT imaging in sarcoidosis with a specific focus on (1) indications, (2) patient preparation, (3) test performance, (4) study interpretation, (5) clinical relevance of findings, (6) comparison to alternative imaging modalities, and finally (7) introduction of areas of anticipated development and research.

Ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in patients with structural heart disease. In the last decade, advanced imaging modalities, such as cardiac MR and nuclear imaging, have progressively demonstrated to play a central role in the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with VAs. PET is acquiring a growing role thanks to its capability to assess different pathophysiologic aspects of the arrhythmogenic substrate by evaluating abnormal myocardial perfusion, presence of inflammation, myocardial viability, and sympathetic innervation. This review describes the principles and main clinical applications of PET imaging in the setting of VAs.

Background Treatment strategies to prevent ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) include antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) and catheter ablation (CA). Objective The purpose of this study was to systematically compare the efficacy of AADs and CA for the prevention of VT in patients with ICDs. Methods Major databases were searched (October 2015) for randomized trials evaluating AADs or CA vs standard medical therapy to prevent VT in ICD patients. Primary outcome was the number of VT episodes leading to appropriate ICD interventions. Results Eight trials (n = 2268, follow-up 15 ± 6 months) evaluated AADs, and 6 trials (n = 427, follow-up 14 ± 8 months) evaluated CA. A significant reduction in appropriate ICD interventions was found with both CA (odds ratio [OR] 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.28–0.71, P = .001) and AADs (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.44–0.97, P = .037), with no significant difference between the 2 treatment strategies. The benefit of AADs was driven by amiodarone and not confirmed with other AADs. A reduction of inappropriate ICD interventions was found with AADs (OR 0.30, P = .001) but not with CA. Both CA and AADs were not associated with decreased mortality over follow-up. Amiodarone appeared to increase the risk of death (OR 3.36, 95% CI 1.36–8.30, P = .009). Conclusion In patients with an ICD, both AADs (amiodarone) and CA reduce the risk of recurrent VT compared to control medical therapy, with no significant difference between the 2 treatments. AADs are also associated with a reduction of inappropriate ICD therapies. The significant reduction of recurrent VT episodes does not appear to result in a mortality benefit, with a potential for increased mortality with amiodarone.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited cardiomyopathy characterised by ventricular arrhythmia and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Numerous genetic determinants and phenotypic manifestations have been discovered in ACM, posing a significant clinical challenge. Further to this, wider evaluation of family members has revealed incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity in ACM, suggesting a complex genotype-phenotype relationship. This review details the genetic basis of ACM with specific genotype-phenotype associations, providing the reader with a nuanced perspective of this condition; whilst also proposing a future roadmap to delivering precision medicine-based management in ACM.

Background In patients with ischemic ventricular tachycardia (VT), substrate may be "protected" by the posteromedial papillary muscle (PMPM), explaining failure of endocardial-only ablation. Objective We sought to characterize the arrhythmogenic substrate and ablation approach in patients with ischemic VT mapped to the inferior left ventricle in which endocardial ablation failed because of inaccessible substrate underlying the PMPM. Methods We included 10 patients with recurrent ischemic VT, evidence of inferior scar, and failed endocardial ablation. In all patients, epicardial mapping was performed via a percutaneous (n = 9) or surgical (n = 1) approach, and VT elimination was achieved by ablation opposite to the PMPM. Clinical characteristics, electrocardiographic characteristics, and procedural data were analyzed. Results In all patients, intracardiac echocardiography showed hyperechoic scar below the PMPM, and 5 exhibited a pattern characterized by subendocardial basal scar that became intramural and epicardial at distal segments. In 4 patients, VT remained inducible despite endocardial scar isolation, manifested by the absence of electrograms, dissociated potentials, and/or exit block. Eleven inducible VTs were mapped to the epicardium underlying the PMPM: 8 had a right bundle branch block configuration with variable transition, while 3 exhibited left bundle branch block with negative concordance. An inferior QS pattern was present in 10 of 11 VTs. Noninducibility was achieved in 8 patients, and 7 patients remained arrhythmia-free after a mean follow-up of 27 ± 23 months. Conclusion In patients with inferior ischemic scar, VT may arise from the area underneath the PMPM, limiting endocardial ablation. Intracardiac echocardiography accurately defines the substrate distribution, and an epicardial approach may eliminate VT. A pattern of "basal-endocardial/apical-epicardial" ischemic involvement is described.

This study sought to assess the performance of established risk models in predicting outcomes after catheter ablation (CA) in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) and ventricular tachycardia (VT).A correct pre-procedural risk stratification of patients with NIDCM and VT undergoing CA is crucial. The performance of different pre-procedural risk stratification approaches to predict outcomes of CA of VT in patients with NIDCM is unknown.The study compared the performance of 8 prognostic scores (SHFM [Seattle Heart Failure Model], MAGGIC [Meta-analysis Global Group in Chronic Heart Failure], ADHERE [Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry], EFFECT [Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment-Heart Failure], OPTIMIZE-HF [Organized Program to Initiate Lifesaving Treatment in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Failure], CHARM [Candesartan in Heart Failure-Assessment of Reduction in Mortality], EuroSCORE [European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation], and PAINESD [Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Age60 Years, Ischemic Cardiomyopathy, New York Heart Association Functional Class III or IV, Ejection Fraction 25%, Presentation With VT Storm, Diabetes Mellitus]) for the endpoints of death/cardiac transplantation and VT recurrence in 282 consecutive patients (age 59 ± 15 years, left ventricular ejection fraction: 36 ± 13%) with NIDCM undergoing CA of VT. Discrimination and calibration of each model were evaluated through area under the curve (AUC) of receiver-operating characteristic curve and goodness-of-fit test.After a median follow-up of 48 (interquartile range: 19-67) months, 43 patients (15%) died, 24 (9%) underwent heart transplantation, and 58 (21%) experienced VT recurrence. The prognostic accuracy of SHFM (AUC = 0.89; goodness-of-fit p = 0.68 for death/transplant and AUC = 0.77; goodness-of-fit p = 0.16 for VT recurrence) and PAINESD (AUC = 0.83; goodness-of-fit p = 0.24 for death/transplant and AUC = 0.68; goodness-of-fit p = 0.58 for VT recurrence) were significantly superior to that of other scores.In patients with NIDCM and VT undergoing CA, the SHFM and PAINESD risk scores are powerful predictors of recurrent VT and death/transplant during follow-up, with similar performance and significantly superior to other scores. A pre-procedural calculation of the SHFM and PAINESD can be useful to predict outcomes.

Outcomes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation in structural heart disease have been reported to differ by sex. Whether this is due to differences in the underlying arrhythmogenic substrates among patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) remains unclear.The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of arrhythmogenic substrates between women and men with NICM.We analyzed 160 consecutive patients (26 women) with NICM who were undergoing VT ablation at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Of these 160 patients, 59 (13 women) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) before the ablation procedure. The arrhythmogenic substrate was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by CMR and/or detailed electroanatomic mapping.There were no significant differences in left ventricular scar percentage as defined by CMR (9.5% ± 7.8% in women vs 11.2% ± 8.6% in men; P = .5), endocardial bipolar voltage (1.5 mV; 11.3% ± 19.3% in women vs 11.5% ± 16.3% in men; P = .4), endocardial unipolar voltage (8.3 mV; 38.0% ± 30.8% in women vs 45.6% ± 30.9% in men; P = .2), or epicardial bipolar voltage (1.0 mV; 21.5% ± 38.9% in women vs 10.7% ± 13.9% in men; P = .6). There were no significant differences in scar transmurality as defined by CMR (5 categories: endocardial, midwall, epicardial, transmural, and right ventricular endocardial). Similarly, there were no significant differences in scar distribution as defined by CMR or electroanatomic mapping (anteroseptal vs inferolateral).Scar percentage, transmurality, and distribution are similar between women and men with NICM.