Radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular arrhythmia arising from the left aortic sinus of Valsalva

Objective To investigate the electrocardiographic characteristics and assess the efficiency of ra-diofrequency catheter ablation(RFCA) in ventricular arrhythmia arising from the aortic sinus of Valsalva. Methods Eighteen patients(6 males and 12 females)were selected to undergo RFCA for ventficular arrhythmia originating from the left aortic sinus of Valsava. All of them were symptomatic,but without evidence of structural heart disease. Activation mapping was performed in the endocardium of the aortic sinus of Valsalva,then ablation was performed at the site with the earliest ventricular wave in endocardium electrograms. At the same time, coronary and aortic angiog-raphy were performed to assess the anatomic relationship between the ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular pre-mature contraction (VPC) origin and coronary arteries and aortic valve before the RF energy delivery. Results Eighteen patients were successfully managed, with no major complications related to the procedure. VT eliminated and VPC counts on 24-hour ECG monitoring decreased significantly after the ablation[18 474(12 399,26 812)/24h vs 4 (1,7)/24 h, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P<0.05]. During a follow-up period of 6 monthes, there was no recur-rence. Conclusions Ventricular arrhythmia arising from the aortic sinus of Valsalva has specific electrocardiograph-ic characteristics, and it can be successfully and safely treated under the guidance of activation mapping.