Topography of preemptying ventricular segments in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome using scintigraphic phase mapping and esophageal pacing

We analyzed the sequence of ventricular emptying using the phase image in 10 patients with accessory pathways and in 15 normal subjects. In normal subjects, the earliest emptying occurred in ventricular septal, apical and left basal segments. Eight patients had manifest preexcitation; the earliest emptying occurred ectopically in the right ventricle in one of these patients and in the left ventricle in five. The remaining two patients had normal phase maps. Two patients had concealed left-sided pathways. Their phase maps showed earliest emptying in left basal segments. Six of the 10 patients underwent electrophysiologic mapping. There was complete agreement between phase and electrophysiologic maps. Transesophageal atrial pacing increased preexcitation in one patient, normalized the ECG in another and precipitated narrow QRS tachycardia in four patients. Phase maps then showed enlargement, reduction and loss of the ectopic earliest emptying segments, respectively. We conclude that this technique in conjunction with pacing is successful in lateralizing accessory pathways.