All issues > Volume 39(10); 1996

Case Report

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1996;39(10):1455-1460. Published online October 15, 1996.

Catheter Ablation of Atrial Flutter Using Radiofrequency Energy in a Child :A Case Report

Jae Kon JK Ko¹, In Sook IS Park¹, Young Hwee YH Kim¹, Chang Yee CY Hong¹, Jae Joong JJ Kim², You Ho YH Kim²

¹Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
²Division of Cardiology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Atrial flutter is a potentially life threatening complication of repair or palliation of congenital heart disease and is frequently drug resistant. Recent studies in human have demonstrated that common type atrial flutter is due to macro-reentry in the right atrium and that the reentrant circuit may involve slow conduction in the low posteroseptal area of the right atrium. Catheter ablation of atrial flutter has been successful using radiofrequency energy. Application of radiofrequency energy at the isthmus between the inferior vena cava and tricuspid ring was effective in preventing recurrence of atrial flutter in a 6 year old boy after open heart surgery of common atrium. Despite concerns regarding ablation scar in growing children and persistence of underlying structural abnormalities in postoperative patients, radiofrequency ablation of atrial flutter appears to be another useful therapeutic option in management of this not so rare but potentially malignant and often resistant arrhythmia.

Keywords :Atrial flutter, Radiofrequency ablation, Child