Efectos tardíos post fulguración con radiofrecuencia: experiencia clínica en 5 casos / Late effects of radiofrecuency fulguration: report of 5 cases

RESUMO

Radiofrecuency fulguration is the definitive treatment of several supraventricular and ventricular arrythmias. During radiofrecuency application, the conduction in a specific zone is interrupted as a consequence of cellular necrosis and edema. The disappearance of edema, minutes or hours after the procedure, allows the reappearance of conduction and arrythmias. On the other hand, the definitive lesion is larger than the one caused acutely, due to the progression of the scar. We report four patients, in whom there was an apparent failure of the fulguration, since at the end of the procedure there was conduction in the fulgurated zone, the tachycardia was inducible or pre excitation and arrythmias reappeared during the follow up. All four were subjected to a new eletrophysiological study and in all, fulguration had been effective. We conclude that these late effects of fulguration are due to the slow progression of fibrosis, that continues days or weeks after the procedure