The determinants of atrioventricular nodal re-entrance with premature atrial stimulation in patients with dual A-V nodal pathways.

In patients with dual atrioventricular (A-V) nodal pathways, atrial extrastimulus testing induces either no echoes, single atrial echoes (Ae), or repetitive re-entrance (repetitive atrial and ventricular beating). We examined the fast and slow pathways properties in 38 patients with dual pathways in order to delineate the determinants of re-entrance. Seventeen patients had no Ae. Of these, six had no V-A conduction and 11, intact V-A conduction. The mean paced ventricular cycle length producing retrograde V-A block (VABCL) in this group (a measure of retrograde fast pathway refractoriness) was 552 +/- 32 msec (mean +/- SEM; 10 pts). In contrast, all 21 patients with Ae had intact V-A conduction with mean VABCL of 382 +/- 21 msec (14 pts) (P less than 0.05). Repetitive re-entrance occurred only when Ae conducted to the ventricles. Seven patients had only single Ae. The mean paced atrial cycle length producing Wenckebach periodicity (CLAWP) in this group (a measure of antegrade slow pathway refractoriness) was 490 +/- 31 msec (5 pts). Fourteen patients had repetitive re-entrance. The mean CLAWP in this group was 399 +/- 18 msec (8 pts) (P less than 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that in patients with dual pathway, the occurrence of single or repetitive re-entry is dependent upon measurable slow and fast pathway properties.