EVALUATION OF THE NONINVASIVE LOCALIZATION ACCURACY OF CARDIAC-ARRHYTHMIAS ATTAINABLE BY MULTICHANNEL MAGNETOCARDIOGRAPHY (MCG)

The accuracy of multichannel magnetocardiography (MCG) for the non-inv asive localization of cardiac arrhythmias was investigated. A non-magn etic catheter was used in phantom studies and for cardiac pacing of 6 patients. In a clinical setting, 32 patients with WPW-syndrome, 37 pat ients with premature ventricular complexes and 12 patients with ventri cular tachycardia were studied and the MCG results compared to referen ce methods, including invasive electrophysiological mapping. Phantom a nd pacing studies demonstrated the spatial localization accuracy to be better than 15 mm for a dipole-to-dewar distance below 15 cm. In all patients with structural cardiac disease, the ectopic focus was locali zed at the margin of the damaged area, serving as a proof of MCG local ization. Invasive mapping confirmed the MCG result whenever performed (42 patients). In 11 patients (9 WPW, 2 VT) the MCG localization resul t was verified by successful HF catheter ablation as a gold standard. MCG permits the non-invasive localization of cardiac arrhythmias with high spatial accuracy. MCG guided HF catheter ablation constitutes a n ew concept of non-invasive localization and minimally invasive causal therapy.