查看文章

Triggers propagating into atrial myocardium may initiate reentering wavelets if the wavelength is sufficiently short. Wavelength shortening can occur even in normal atria if the effective refractory period (ERP) or conduction velocity is decreased. Initiation and maintenance of AF may depend on uninterrupted periodic activity of a few discrete reentrant sources localized to the left atrium, emanating from such sources to propagate through both atria and interact with anatomical and/or functional obstacles, leading to fragmentation and wavelet formation. 18, 19 Factors such as wavefront curvature, 20 sink-source relationships, 21 and spatial and temporal organization22, 23 all are relevant to our understanding of the initiation of AF by the interaction of the propagating wave fronts with such anatomic or functional obstacles. Indeed, all these factors, which differ from triggers, may be considered initiators of AF.

Having been …