RADIOFREQUENCY CATHETER ABLATION OF FOCAL ATRIAL-FIBRILLATION

Although atrial fibrillation is usually caused by multiple circulating reentrant wavelets, a focal origin has recently been reported. This f ocal source could be successfully treated by discrete radiofrequency c atheter ablation. We report a patient without structural heart disease , but with multiple episodes of palpitations related to atrial prematu re beats, irregular atrial tachycardia and atrial fibrillation. The el ectrophysiological study demonstrated that all the atrial arrhythmias were due to the same focus firing irregularly and exhibiting a unique and centrifugal pattern of activation. Successful radiofrequency cathe ter ablation of the focus was performed, without complications. After three months follow-up the patient is asymptomatic and she has not pre sented arrhytmia recurrences.