Introduction:
Bipolar voltage mapping detects areas of scar and guides ablation of VT. The role of endocardial unipolar voltage mapping is not well defined. We examined the endo-epicardial substrate in a mixed cohort of patients with structural heard disease (SHD) to determine whether an endocardial unipolar low voltage area predicts the presence and location of an epicardial scar.
Results:
Data from 24 consecutive patients with SHD (11 ICM, 6 NICM, 3 HCM, 2 ARVC, 1 myocarditis, 1 Brugada) with a detailed (mean points per map 200) combined endocardial-epicardial substrate mapping were retrospectively reviewed. Maps were obtained using a 3D mapping system (CARTO 3) and normal thresholds used were ≤1.5 mV for bipolar voltage, and ≤5.5 (RV) or ≤8.3 mV (LV) for unipolar voltage. Mapping was performed in the LV in 17 patients, in the RV in 6 patients, in both in 1 patient.
An endocardial unipolar low voltage area was found in 21/25 maps. In 12/21 maps there was no corresponding epicardial scar, while in 3/4 cases an epicardial scar was detected despite a negative unipolar map (PPV=43%, NPV=25%, P=NS; Fig. 1). In the 9 cases with both positive endocardial unipolar and epicardial bipolar maps, the epicardial scar was found in the corresponding ventricular region of the endocardial low-voltage area, although unipolar area had a tendency to overestimate the area of the scar (115 vs 95 cm
2
).
Conclusion:
In this series of patients with SHD, analysis of unipolar voltage maps could not reliably predict the epicardial arrhythmogenic substrate. There is a modest correlation between areas of endocardial unipolar low voltage and epicardial scars (57% of patients with an abnormal unipolar map had a normal epicardial substrate). Moreover, an epicardial substrate cannot be safely excluded based on a normal unipolar endocardial map.
Fig. 1
Abnormal bipolar epicardial map (left) with corresponding normal unipolar endocardial map (right) in a patient with ARVC. Pink dots represent area of defragmentation.
A Robotic Indoor 3D Mapping System Using a 2D Laser Range Finder Mounted on a Rotating Four-Bar Linkage of a Mobile Platform