Donor-to-recipient decremental conduction of atrial fibrillation followingorthotopic heart transplantation: Insights into the mechanism of atrioatrial conduction

Citation
M. Landolina et al., Donor-to-recipient decremental conduction of atrial fibrillation followingorthotopic heart transplantation: Insights into the mechanism of atrioatrial conduction, J CARD ELEC, 11(9), 2000, pp. 1043-1047
Citations number
15
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Journal title
JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY
ISSN journal
10453873 → ACNP
Volume
11
Issue
9
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1043 - 1047
Database
ISI
SICI code
1045-3873(200009)11:9<1043:DDCOAF>2.0.ZU;2-4
Abstract
Donor-to-Recipient Decremental Conduction of AF. We describe the unique cas e of a heart transplant patient with type I atrial fibrillation that arose in the donor atrium during a late acute rejection episode and conducted to the recipient atrium with second-degree type I local block. After internal cardioversion, programmed stimulation showed bidirectional decremental cond uction across the suture line with nearly equal atrioatrial interval, where as the recipient atrium showed progressively delayed intra-atrial conductio n. These findings strongly suggest that the mechanism of atrioatrial conduc tion may be electrical propagation along viable myocardium bridging the sur gical scar and that the electrophysiologic characteristics of the recipient atrium are involved in decremental conduction across the suture line.