Orthodromic

Orthodromic refers to the direction of a nerve impulse that travels along an axon in the normal direction, i.e., from the cell body towards the synaptic terminals. This term is often used in the context of cardiology and neurology.

Overview

In cardiology, an orthodromic atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) is a type of supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) that utilizes the atrioventricular node (AV node) for anterograde conduction and an accessory pathway for retrograde conduction. This is in contrast to antidromic AVRT, which uses the accessory pathway for anterograde conduction and the AV node for retrograde conduction.

In neurology, orthodromic refers to the propagation of action potentials from the cell body of a neuron down its axon towards its synaptic terminals. This is the usual direction of impulse transmission in most neurons.

Clinical Significance

Orthodromic conduction is significant in the diagnosis and treatment of certain cardiac and neurological conditions. In cardiology, the recognition of orthodromic AVRT is important as it is one of the most common types of SVT and can be effectively treated with catheter ablation. In neurology, abnormal orthodromic conduction can indicate nerve damage or disease.

See Also

• Antidromic
• Atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia
• Supraventricular tachycardia
• Atrioventricular node
• Catheter ablation