Introduction: Thermal damage to coronary arteries during catheter ablation has been previously reported. Coronary artery damage during LV outflow tract ventricular tachycardia is well recognized. However, the relationship of the coronary arteries to the RV outflow tract during catheter ablation has not been delineated. The purpose of this study was to define the relationship between the RV outflow tract and the coronary arteries utilizing arteriography, echocardiography, CT angiography, and gross anatomic pathology.
Methods: The relationship of the coronaries to the RV outflow tract was analyzed in three patients groups: Group 1: patients (n = 10) undergoing RV outflow tract ventricular tachycardia; Group 2: patients (n = 50) undergoing CT coronary angiography; Group 3: patients (n = 4) undergoing echocardiography during open heart surgery and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (n = 5).
Results: Group 1: The left main coronary artery was found to be 3.8 +/- 1.2 mm from the right ventricular outflow tract in patients undergoing ablation. Group 2: The minimum distance between the left main, left anterior descending, and right coronary artery to the RV outflow tract endocardial wall were 4.1 +/- 1.9 mm, 2.0 +/- 0.6 mm, and 4.3 +/- 1.9 mm (average +/- SD) respectively. Group 3: During open heart surgery using echocardiography, the minimum distance between the left main and the right coronary artery to the RV outflow tract were 3.4 +/- 0.35 mm and 2.0 +/- 0.1 mm, respectively. The distance between the let main coronary artery and the RVOT by ICE was 3.8 +/- 0.45 mm.
Conclusions: The major coronary arteries lie in close proximity of the RVOT, and their anatomic course should be taken into consideration during ablation of ventricular tachycardias arising from the RV outflow tract.