Presentation type: oral presentation
Aim: Persistent tachycardia may lead to the installati-on of a cardiomyopathy with systolic and diastolic dys-function, with symptoms of heart failure – tachycardi-omyopathy.
Materials and methods: We present the clinical case of a 69-year-old female patient, known with atrial fi-brillation treated with radiofrequency ablation in 2015. After an arrhythmia free period, the patient develops an atrial tachycardia, initially responsive to treatment (propafenone), but with an ulterior incessant evoluti-on, with daily sustained episodes leading to the deve-lopment of a left ventricle systolic dysfunction (ejec-tion fraction = 40%), expressed through NYHA II-III heart failure symptoms. The initial evaluation of the patient included: clinical examination, ECG, Holter, biological parameters and echocardiography. The pati-ent underwent the electrophysiological study assisted by a 3D electro-anatomic system, which pointed out a re-entry arrhythmia in the posterior carina. After the radiofrequency ablation and the re-isolation of two re-connected veins, the patient regained her stable sinus rhythm, non-inducible.
Results: Post-ablation, the patient became asymptoma-tic. The one-month control showed stable sinus rhythm, without any arrhythmias, without heart failure symp-toms and with normal cardiac function.
Conclusions: A small percentage of the patients with heart failure and persistent tachyarrhythmias may suffer from tachycardiomyopathy. The identification of these patients is important because the curative treat-ment by radiofrequency ablation leads to the healing of the cardiomyopathy.