Key result
Mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation achieves 100% freedom from atrial tachycardia in early follow-up.
Why the study?
Focal atrial tachycardia arising from an atrial appendage is technically challenging due to thin, trabeculated anatomy impairing catheter stability and tissue apposition, and experience with pulsed field ablation for this indication remains limited.
Is high-density mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation feasible and effective in eliminating focal atrial tachycardia arising from the right or left atrial appendage?
Case Report (n=2)
No
Is high-density mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation feasible and effective in eliminating focal atrial tachycardia arising from the right or left atrial appendage?
Demonstrates the technical feasibility of high-density mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation using a variable-loop circular catheter to treat focal atrial appendage tachycardia without requiring complete appendage isolation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports feasibility of mapping-guided regional PFA for appendage AT; leaves open need for prospective validation.
Background Focal atrial tachycardia (AT) arising from an atrial appendage is uncommon and technically challenging because the thin, trabeculated anatomy may impair catheter stability and tissue apposition. Experience with pulsed field ablation (PFA) for this indication remains limited. Case presentation: A 42-year-old man with recurrent right atrial appendage AT and a 38-year-old woman with left atrial appendage AT underwent high-density activation mapping. In both patients, a discrete region of earliest activation with centrifugal spread was identified. A mapping-guided regional lesion strategy was implemented using a VARIPULSE variable-loop circular catheter, with PFA delivered across the mapped region and selected appendage segments. In the first patient, AT terminated during PFA at the mapped distal RAA target and was subsequently non-inducible. In the second, a complete activation map was acquired before AT terminated without energy delivery and could not be reinduced. PFA was subsequently performed during sinus rhythm using the stored activation map and electroanatomical geometry. Both patients remained asymptomatic, with no documented AT recurrence during 6- and 3-month follow-up, respectively. Conclusions These cases illustrate the technical feasibility of high-density mapping-guided regional PFA for focal AT arising from either atrial appendage.
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Zeng et al. (2026) conducted a case report in Focal atrial tachycardia arising from the right or left atrial appendage (n=2). High-density mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation (PFA) using a VARIPULSE variable-loop circular catheter was evaluated on Acute non-inducibility of atrial tachycardia and freedom from documented atrial tachycardia recurrence during short-term follow-up (3 and 6 months). High-density mapping-guided regional pulsed field ablation achieved acute non-inducibility and 100% freedom from atrial tachycardia recurrence in 2 patients at 3- and 6-month follow-up.
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