Stepwise transition of 2:1 atrio-ventricular block to 1:1 conduction induced by ventricular premature beats in a patient with atypical AVNRT.

Abstract

A 55-year-old man with a 2-year history of recurrent paroxysmal palpitations and with an electrocardiogram documentation of atypical atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) was referred to us for catheter ablation. After an initial ablation attempt, several episodes of atypical AVNRT were induced. During one of these episodes, we documented a stepwise transition of 2:1 atrioventricular block to 1:1 conduction, following two single ventricular premature beats. This phenomenon confirmed the functional nature of the AV block during AVNRT and indirectly its infra-nodal location.