Catheter-based electrical interventions to study, diagnose and treat arrhythmias in horses: From refractory period to electro-anatomical mapping.
Abstract: Minimally-invasive catheter-based interventional cardiology is a mainstay for the diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in human medicine. Very accurate imaging using fluoroscopy, CT and MRI is essential during interventional cardiology procedures. Because these imaging techniques are either not possible or provide too little anatomical detail in horses, echocardiography is currently the best technique to visualize catheters in horses. Over the past decades, catheter-based techniques have been applied to induce arrhythmias using pacing and to perform arrhythmia research using electrophysiological studies. In bradycardic animals with clinical signs, permanent pacing can be achieved by pacemaker implantation via the cephalic vein. Transvenous electrical cardioversion, based on one cardioversion catheter in the pulmonary artery and one in the right atrium, has become the treatment of choice for atrial fibrillation in horses, even for longstanding or drug-resistant atrial fibrillation. Recently, the highly advanced technique of three dimensional electroanatomical mapping has been described in horses. This technique has not only revealed essential electrophysiological data in horses, but has also facilitated the successful ablation of atrial tachycardia in horses.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020-07-24 PubMed ID: 32928488DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2020.105519Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
- Anatomy
- Cardiac Arrhythmias
- Cardiovascular Health
- Clinical Study
- Clinical Symptoms
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Treatment
- Echocardiography
- Electrophysiology
- Equine Health
- Horses
- In Vivo
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Treatment
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Procedure
Summary
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This research highlights the use of minimally invasive catheter-based techniques for studying, diagnosing, and treating heart arrhythmias in horses. It presents different applications, such as inducing arrhythmias, cardioversion for atrial fibrillation, and the recent advancement of three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping.
Background
- In the field of interventional cardiology, catheter-based techniques are primarily used for diagnosing and treating arrhythmias in human medicine.
- These techniques usually necessitate precise imaging provided by CT scans, MRI, or fluoroscopy.
- In case of horses, these imaging techniques are either not feasible or do not provide adequate anatomical details.
- Therefore, echocardiography is predominantly used to visualize catheters in horses.
Induction of Arrhythmias and Arrhythmia Research
- Over years, catheter-based approaches have been utilized in horses to induce arrhythmias and to carry out electrophysiological studies.
- These interventions can be pivotal in understanding cardiac dysfunctions and evaluating suitable treatments for clinical signs of bradycardia, such as pacemaker implantation through the cephalic vein.
Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation
- The process of cardioversion involves the usage of catheters placed in the pulmonary artery and the right atrium.
- This technique has been progressively adopted as the primary treatment for atrial fibrillation in horses, including longstanding or drug-resistant cases.
Three Dimensional (3D) Electroanatomical Mapping
- In recent advancements, the adoption of a 3D electroanatomical mapping has been documented in horses.
- This innovation has provided essential data on the electrophysiology of horses, contributing significantly to arrhythmia research.
- Moreover, this method has also eased the successful ablation of atrial tachycardia in horses, strengthening its potential as a vital tool in equine cardiology.
Cite This Article
APA
van Loon G, Van Steenkiste G, Vera L, Decloedt A.
(2020).
Catheter-based electrical interventions to study, diagnose and treat arrhythmias in horses: From refractory period to electro-anatomical mapping.
Vet J, 263, 105519.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2020.105519 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Cardioteam, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium. Electronic address: Gunther.vanLoon@UGent.be.
- Equine Cardioteam, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Equine Cardioteam, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
- Equine Cardioteam, Department of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, B-9820 Merelbeke, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / diagnosis
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / therapy
- Arrhythmias, Cardiac / veterinary
- Atrial Fibrillation / diagnosis
- Atrial Fibrillation / therapy
- Atrial Fibrillation / veterinary
- Cardiac Catheterization / methods
- Cardiac Catheterization / veterinary
- Cardiac Pacing, Artificial / veterinary
- Cardiac Surgical Procedures / methods
- Cardiac Surgical Procedures / veterinary
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Electric Countershock / veterinary
- Electrophysiological Phenomena
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / therapy
- Horses
- Radiofrequency Ablation / veterinary
- Tachycardia / therapy
- Tachycardia / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, Demeyere M, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Multiple Catheter Recording in Horses to Investigate Atrial Depolarization Pattern During Sinus Rhythm and Induced Premature Atrial Complexes. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Sep-Oct;39(5):e70218.
- Ibrahim L, Vernemmen I, Buschmann E, van Loon G, Cornillie P. Morphological variations of the interatrial septum and potential implications in equine cardiology. Sci Rep 2025 May 12;15(1):16500.
- Vernemmen I, Demeyere M, Van Steenkiste G, Buschmann E, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Novel Intracardiac Ultrasound Images Developed on a Cardiac Ultrasound Simulator and Validated in Live Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 May-Jun;39(3):e70087.
- Vernemmen I, Buschmann E, Demeyere M, Verhaeghe LM, Van Steenkiste G, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Feasibility of transthoracic echocardiographic guidance for multicatheter electrophysiological mapping studies in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Sep-Oct;38(5):2686-2697.
- Van Steenkiste G, Boussy T, Duytschaever M, Vernemmen I, Schauvlieghe S, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Detection of the origin of atrial tachycardia by 3D electro-anatomical mapping and treatment by radiofrequency catheter ablation in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Jul;36(4):1481-1490.
- Vernemmen I, Paulussen E, Dauvillier J, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Three-dimensional and catheter-based intracardiac echocardiographic characterization of the interatrial septum in 2 horses with suspicion of a patent foramen ovale. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Jul;36(4):1535-1542.
- Kjeldsen ST, Nissen SD, Buhl R, Hopster-Iversen C. Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation in Horses: Pathophysiology, Diagnostics and Clinical Aspects. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 10;12(6).
- Van Steenkiste G, Delhaas T, Hermans B, Vera L, Decloedt A, van Loon G. An Exploratory Study on Vectorcardiographic Identification of the Site of Origin of Focally Induced Premature Depolarizations in Horses, Part I: The Atria. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 23;12(5).
- Vernemmen I, Van Steenkiste G, Dufourni A, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Transvenous electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation in horses: Horse and procedural factors correlated with success and recurrence. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Mar;36(2):758-769.
- De Lange L, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, Vera L, Cromheeke KMC, Walser U, Meert H, Decloedt A, van Loon G. Successful application of closed loop stimulation pacemakers with remote monitoring in 3 miniature donkeys with syncope. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Nov;35(6):2920-2925.
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