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Arrhythmias in Right Heart Disease

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Right Heart Pathology

Abstract

Right heart disease can be associated with increased risk for arrhythmias, both ventricular and supraventricular. Right sided arrhythmias may occur in the setting of structural disease predominantly affecting the right heart—such as cardiomyopathies (arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, cardiac sarcoidosis) and congenital heart disease (corrected tetralogy of Fallot, Ebstein’s anomaly, atrial septal defect), as well as in the absence of structural heart disease, with substrate (Mahaim fibers, Coumel type tachycardia) or without substrate (idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia). The most common cause for right heart failure is secondary pulmonary hypertension due to left heart diseases, a setting in which the underlying left heart condition will be the main determiner for prognosis and risk of arrhythmia. Still, right heart failure secondary to pulmonary arterial hypertension is also associated with increased risk for arrhythmic events. Advanced cardiac imaging, especially cardiac MRI, as well as invasive procedures (right/left heart catherization; electrophysiological study; endomyocardial biopsy) play an important role in the differential diagnosis. Modern treatment relies on interventional techniques (implantable cardioverter defibrillator; radiofrequency ablation).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

    Stefan Bogdan, Radu Vătăşescu & Maria Dorobanţu

  2. Cardiology Department, Clinical Electrophysiology and Cardiac Pacing Laboratory, Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

    Stefan Bogdan & Radu Vătăşescu

  3. Cardiology Department, Clinical Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

    Maria Dorobanţu

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  1. Stefan Bogdan
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania

    Silviu Ionel Dumitrescu

  2. Department of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

    Ion C. Ţintoiu

  3. Department of Surgery, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong

    Malcolm John Underwood

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Bogdan, S., Vătăşescu, R., Dorobanţu, M. (2018). Arrhythmias in Right Heart Disease. In: Dumitrescu, S., Ţintoiu, I., Underwood, M. (eds) Right Heart Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73764-5_23

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