RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION IN YOUNG -PATIENTS WITH PERMANENT JUNCTIONAL RECIPROCATING TACHYCARDIA AND ATRIAL ECTOPIC TACHYCARDIA

Ten young patients with a median age of 10.5 (range: 6 to 31) years su ffering from the permanent form of junctional reciprocating tachycardi a (PJRT; n = 7) and ectopic atrial tachycardia (AET; n = 3) were treat ed by transcatheter radiofrequency current application. Indications fo r interventional therapy were failure of medical therapy after a media n of 3 antiarrhythmic drugs in all patients, syncope in 1, and impaire d left ventricular function in 3 patients (PJRT n = 3, AET n = 1). The intervention was primarily successful in all patients. Median fluoros copy time during the ablation procedure was 17 (10 to 70) min. A media n of 3 (1 to 14) radiofrequency (500 kHz) pulses was delivered at a ta rget temperature of 70 degrees C or with 30 W for 30 s. One patient ha d a recurrence of PJRT and was successfully treated by a repeat ablati on. After a median follow-up of 14 (2 to 61) months, all patients are free of drug treatment and in normal sinus rhythm. Left ventricular fu nction has normalized in patients with follow-up > 6 months. Radiofreq uency catheter ablation was a safe and effective therapy in young pati ents with drug-resistant forms of chronic-permanent supraventricular t achycardia.