The electrical heart: 25 years of discovery in cardiac electrophysiology, arrhythmias and sudden death

Abstract

This review summarizes progress in the fields of cardiac electrophysiology, arrhythmias and sudden death made in the 25-year interval between 1992 and 2016 during which time Cardiovascular Pathology has been published. Organized along clinical lines, it considers the major heart rhythm disorders underlying atrial, atrioventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. There is a strong focus on the remarkable advances in understanding the genetic basis for cardiac rhythm disturbances and elucidating fundamental mechanisms of abnormal conduction and impulse formation. During this 25-year period, our understanding of how altered tissue structure (classical pathology) contributes to arrhythmias and sudden death has undergone continuous refinement as new insights have been gained about arrhythmia mechanisms and the dynamic interplay between anatomic substrates and triggers of the major heart rhythm disorders.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Cardiac electrophysiology; Sudden death; Ventricular tachyarrhythmias.