Electrical activity in the myocardium coordinates the contraction of the heart, and its knowledge could lead to a better understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of cardiac diseases. This electrical activity generates an electromagnetic field that propagates outside the heart and reaches the human torso surface, where it can be easily measured. Classical electrocardiography aims to interpret the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine cardiac activity and support the diagnosis of cardiac pathologies such as arrhythmias, altered activations, and ischemia. More recently, a higher number of leads is used to reconstruct a more detailed quantitative description of the electrical activity in the heart by solving the so-called inverse problem of electrocardiography. This technique is known as ECG imaging. Today, clinical applications of ECG imaging are showing promising results in guiding a variety of electrophysiological interventions such as catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. However, in order to promote the adoption of ECG imaging in the routine clinical practice, further research is required regarding more accurate mathematical methods, further scientific validation under different preclinical scenarios and a more extensive clinical validation

In this issue of Cardiac Electrophysiology Clinics, guest editors Auras R. Atreya and Calambur Narasimhan bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation. - Provides in-depth reviews on the latest updates in Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation, providing actionable insights for clinical practice. - Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field; Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create these timely topic-based reviews.

Catheter ablation has become a mainstay in the therapy of cardiac arrhythmias. The development of electroanatomical mapping technologies (such as CARTO) has facilitated more complex ablation procedures. This brand new book encompasses cardiac arrhythmias and practical tips for users of electroanatomical mapping, providing a color atlas of different arrhythmias, presented as cases, that have been carefully mapped and correlated with clinical and electrogram data. Including maps from all the major mapping systems such as CARTO, NAVX, ESI, RPM as well as activation maps and voltage maps, this book is an ideal reference book and learning tool for electrophysiologists, electrophysiology fellows and electrophysiology laboratory staff.

In spite of the large volume of associated research, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in atrial fibrillation (AF) onset and recurrence remain uncertain. This may explain why the performances of thromboembolic and bleeding prediction scores in AF patients are limited. In the past few years, the concept of atrial cardiopathy has emerged as a promising lead to connect AF to stroke, heart failure, and inflammatory processes: indeed, all of the mechanisms associated with atrial remodeling and the development of atrial cardiopathy are also likely to promote the development of AF. This recent concept of atrial cardiopathy suggests that the real trigger of stroke may be an abnormal atrial substrate rather than atrial rhythm itself. In this setting, AF could be seen as a symptom of atrial cardiopathy rather than a risk factor of stroke. In the absence of validated clinical markers of atrial cardiopathy, the search for the mechanism of AF remains the cornerstone of cardioembolic stroke prevention for now.The aim of this Special Issue is to gather basic research as well as pathophysiological and epidemiological papers focused on the relationship between atrial substrates and atrial fibrillation onset, recurrence, and outcomes.

This thoroughly updated Second Edition is a comprehensive, practical g uide to all current techniques and procedural aspects of interventiona l electrophysiology. A leading international group of experts describe s in depth the procedures and techniques, the rationale for their use, and the available alternatives. Complementing the text are more than 600 illustrations, including spatially oriented "how-to" line drawings, radiographs, and conceptual diagrams. This edition features an exten sively updated program of illustrations and includes the latest inform ation on dual chamber defibrillators, atrial defibrillators and ablati on techniques, and ablation and catheters.

This book serves as a practical guide for the use of stereotactic body radiation therapy in clinics. On the basis of more than 10 years of clinical experience with lung cancer, liver cancer and other cancers, a remarkable volume of knowledge has been accumulated. At the same time, great progress in techniques has been achieved. Various new fixing apparatuses, new respiratory regulation techniques, new dose fractionation schedules and new image-guided radiation therapy machines have been developed. This book reviews the history of those developments and reports on various types of toxicities. Review of recent clinical studies is also included. The authors were key members of the JCOG 0403 clinical trials on stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for both inoperable and operableT1N0M0 primary lung cancer. Readers will learn of the superior outcomes obtained with SBRT for lung cancer and other cancers in terms of local control and toxicities. With its practical focus, this book will benefit radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists and senior nurses as well as medical oncologists and surgical oncologists who are interested in radiotherapy.