Diagnosis and Management of Typical Atrial Flutter

Typical atrial flutter (AFL) is a common atrial arrhythmia that may cause significant symptoms and serious adverse effects including embolic stroke, myocardial ischemia and infarction, and rarely a tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy as a result of rapid atrioventricular conduction. As a result of the well-defined anatomic and electrophysiological substrate, and the relative pharmacologic resistance of typical AFL, radiofrequency catheter ablation has emerged in the past decade as a safe and effective first-line treatment. This article reviews the electrophysiology of typical AFL and the techniques currently used for its diagnosis and management.