Right atrial appendage tachycardia: A rare cause of tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy in a 4-year-old child

Abstract

We present a rare case of tachycardiomyopathy in a 4-year-old girl. The child had incessant atrial tachycardia (AT) and refractory heart failure. Right atrial appendage (RAA) was localised as the source of the ectopic tachycardia. The child underwent successful radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using 3-D electroanatomical mapping. Fluoroscopy was used sparingly only to rule out underlying anomalies. The left ventricular functions returned to normal by one month after the procedure. RAA AT is rare in very young children and usually necessitates surgical appendectomies. RFA is a challenge in such age groups and there are very few published literature on RAA AT in very young children. Keywords: Tachycardiomyopathy, Right atrial appendage, Atrial tachycardia, Pediatric arrhythmia, Radiofrequency ablation