Abstract
In typical human counterclockwise or clockwise atrial flutter, the barriers of the right atrial reentrant circuit are reasonably well established, and curative ablation with a high rate of success is available for this arrhythmia [1–7]. Atrial fibrillation has long been described as a disorganized or random phenomenon [8]. Recent studies, however, found evidence that the activation during atrial fibrillation is not entirely random [9], suggesting similarities among these common arrhythmias. In an animal model, the conversion of atrial fibrillation into atrial flutter and back has been shown to occur spontaneously [10]. In humans, however, the conversion of one arrhythmia into the other has not been extensively analyzed, although recent studies found evidence that especially atrial fibrillation may spontaneously convert into atrial flutter [11, 12]. Thus, in the present article, we will review the role of atrial anatomy for the relationship between atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter and its consequences for diagnosis and treatment.
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© 1998 Springer-Verlag Italia
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Lesh, M.D., Roithinger, F.X., Karch, M.R., Steiner, P.R., SippensGroenewegen, A. (1998). What Is the Relationship between Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter in Man?. In: Raviele, A. (eds) Cardiac Arrhythmias 1997. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2288-1_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2288-1_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Milano
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