Sites of focal atrial activity characterized by endocardial mapping during atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of identifying sites of focal atrial activity by localized high-density endocardial mapping during atrial fibrillation (AF).
Background: Sites of focal activity in the left atrium have been demonstrated by epicardial mapping during AF.
Methods: Twenty-four patients (15 with paroxysmal, 3 with persistent, and 6 with permanent AF) underwent endocardial mapping during AF. A 20-pole catheter with five radiating spines was used to map both atria for 30 s in each of 10 pre-determined segments. A focal activity was defined as > or =3 atrial cycles with activation spreading from center to periphery of the mapping catheter. Catheter ablation was performed independent of the mapping results.
Results: Spontaneous focal activities were observed in 13 sites in the left atrium (9%; anterior 1, roof 2, posterior 6, inferior 4) in 12 patients (9 paroxysmal, 3 persistent). Focal activity was observed continuously (two sites) or intermittently (11 sites, median 5 episodes), and associated with shortening of the cycle length (from 183 +/- 33 ms to 172 +/- 29 ms; p < 0.05). The mean duration of an intermittent episode was 1.5 s (range 0.4 to 7.1 s). Atrial fibrillation terminated without ablation at the foci in all of 12 patients, but in 2 of them, re-initiated arrhythmia was successfully ablated at these foci. Nine of these 12 patients (75%) were arrhythmia-free without antiarrhythmic drugs during a follow-up period of 7.0 +/- 3.1 months.
Conclusions: Termination of AF without ablation at the sites of atrial focal activity suggests that this activity may be triggered by impulses originating from other regions, such as the pulmonary veins.