IMR Press / RCM / Volume 25 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2504112
Open Access Review
Mechanisms of Vein of Marshall-Related Tachyarrhythmias and the Impact of Ethanol Infusion
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1 Department of Cardiac Pacing and Electrophysiology, Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU), 33000 Bordeaux, France
2 IHU Liryc, Electrophysiology and Heart Modelling Institute, Univ. Bordeaux, 33000 Bordeaux, France
3 Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 113-8510 Tokyo, Japan
4 Department of Advanced Arrhythmia Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 113-8510 Tokyo, Japan
5 Department of Cardiology, Royal Papworth Hospital, Papworth Road, CB2 0AY Cambridge, UK
6 Department of Medicine, Cambridge University, CB2 1TN Cambridge, UK
*Correspondence: teru.takigawa@gmail.com (Masateru Takigawa)
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2024, 25(4), 112; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2504112
Submitted: 23 September 2023 | Revised: 30 November 2023 | Accepted: 15 December 2023 | Published: 25 March 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation)
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

The Ligament of Marshall (LOM) is a remnant of the embryonic sinus venosus and the left cardinal vein, containing a combination of fat, fibrous tissue, blood vessels, muscle bundles, nerve fibers, and ganglia. Various muscular connections exist between the LOM and the left atrium (LA) and the coronary sinus (CS). The LOM is richly innervated by autonomic nerves, with ganglion cells distributed around it. The unique characteristics of the LOM are responsible for generating focal electrical activities and enable it to serve as a substrate for micro- and macro-reentrant circuits. This, in turn, leads to the initiation and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial tachycardia (AT). Endocardial ablation in this region does not consistently succeed due to anatomical constraints within the left lateral LA, including the presence of a thicker and longer mitral isthmus (MI), anatomical variations between the MI and epicardial structures such as the CS and vein of Marshall (VOM) and circumflex artery, and the presence of fibrofatty tissue insulating the LOM. Furthermore, epicardial ablation is challenging for inexperienced institutions because of its invasive nature. Ethanol infusion into the VOM (EI-VOM) represents an effective and safe approach that can be employed in conjunction with radiofrequency ablation to eliminate this arrhythmogenic structure.

Keywords
ligament of Marshall
vein of Marshall
ethanol infusion
chemical ablation
Funding
IHU LIRYC ANR-10-IAHU-04/Investissement d’avenir
Figures
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