Change in VA interval by a single atrial premature depolarization - What is the mechanism?

Abstract

A long VA tachycardia during a typical atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) can be a concomitant atypical AVNRT, atrial tachycardia or rarely atrio-ventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT). There are reported associations of AVNRT with other tachycardia substrates. Maneuvers are useful for differentiating the mechanism of the second tachycardia. Atrial tachycardia (AT) is one common association. When the AT originates from the lower triangle of Koch/near coronary sinus ostium, it can mimic slow-slow/fast-slow AVNRT. We encountered an interesting case where a longer VA tachycardia got reproducibly induced when a critically timed atrial premature depolarisation was delivered on typical AVNRT. It was proved to be an AT. A slow pathway modification in the lower TOK was successful to eliminate both the tachycardia substrate.