Correction to “Physiological Pacing: Historical Review With an Eye to the Future”

Refers to Sutton R, Prakash A. Physiological Pacing: Historical review with an eye to the future. J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol 2025; doi.org/10.1111/jce.16559.

In this article, Sutton and Prakash [1] used a Figure downloaded from the internet as a convenience. The figure shows three interatrial conduction pathways. We referred to their existence as being ‘under debate’. Since publishing this study, we have linked with cardiac pathoanatomists, RH Anderson, D Sanchez‐Quintana, from whom we have learned much. Our conclusions must be that the stated interatrial conduction pathways do not exist in the fashion as shown in the figure, where they are depicted as if directly comparable to the ventricular conduction pathways. Additionally, and very importantly, Bachmann's bundle was anticipated by Bachmann himself to be structured to favor preferential interatrial conduction [2]. Histological sections show that the pathway described by Bachmann is composed of working atrial cardiomyocytes aggregated together in parallel fashion, an arrangement which favors conduction from right to left atrium (Figure 1). Later in the article [1], we implied that high right atrial pacing engages one of these non‐existent insulated atrial conducting pathways. A better explanation is that high right atrial pacing offers a significant likelihood of engaging Bachmann's bundle.

Figure 1.

The panels show serial histological sections taken from an adult heart, with the atrial chambers sectioned in their short axis. The sections have been stained using the Masson trichrome technique. Panel (A) shows an overview at the site of the sinus node. Panel (B) is a more caudal section taken through the superior cavoatrial junction. It shows the continuation from the terminal crest in the right atrium through the anterior interatrial wall, with the atrial cardiomyocytes aggregated together in markedly parallel fashion in the area described by Bachmann as his bundle.

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Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.