Persistent Atrium Standstill Post Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Therapy

Cureus. 2022 May 24;14(5):e25293. doi: 10.7759/cureus.25293. eCollection 2022 May.

Abstract

Atrial standstill is a rare condition in which the atrium loses its mechanical contraction with or without losing the electrical conduction. In this report, we discuss a case of a 64-year-old male patient with a history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and persistent refractory atrial fibrillation (AF). He underwent ablation therapy with a successful return to sinus rhythm. However, post-procedure echocardiography imaging showed the absence of left atrium mechanical activity. We aim to highlight the importance of assessing atrial mechanical activity by imaging after sinus cardioversion in order to treat any preventable complications promptly.

Keywords: ablation therapy; atrial fibrillation; atrial standstill; direct cardioversion; enlarged left atrium.

Publication types

  • Case Reports