[Ablation of junctional tachycardia by radiofrequency currents. Experience with 538 patients].

Junctional tachycardias may be related to intranodal reentry or to the existence of an accessory pathway. All are suitable for radical treatment by radiofrequency current applied either in the perinodal region or at the tricuspid or mitral atrioventricular rings respectively. 176 patients with intranodal reentry were treated by preferential modification of the rapid (8) or slow (167) anterograde pathway of the reentry circuit, with a 99% success rate (1 failure) and without significant complications, in particular atrioventricular block in the case of ablation of the slow pathway. 362 patients with one or more accessory pathways, patent or latent, were treated using the same type of energy. The ablation site was determined on the basis of indirect criteria and/or recording of the specific activity of the accessory pathway. The success rate here was 98%, once again without significant complications with the exception of those inherent to catheterisation procedures. Treatment duration time was 41 +/- 38 min in the treatment of intranodal reentry and 58 +/- 49 when one or more accessory pathways were responsible. X-ray exposure times were 14 +/- 14 min and 23 +/- 21 min respectively. Such results would justify the expectation of widened indications of the method.