title: Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. An important diagnosis in children with syncope and normal heart.
abstract: Syncope in children is primarily related to vagal hyperreactivity, but ventricular tachycardia (VT) way rarely be seen. Catecholaminergic polymorphic VT is a rare entity that can occur in children without heart disease and with a normal QT interval, which may cause syncope and sudden cardiac death. In this report, we describe the clinical features, treatment, and clinical follow-up of three children with syncope associated with physical effort or emotion and catecholaminergic polymorphic VT. Symptoms were controlled with beta-blockers, but one patient died suddenly in the fourth year of follow-up. Despite the rare occurrence, catecholaminergic polymorphic VT is an important cause of syncope and sudden death in children with no identified heart disease and normal QT interval.
authors.affiliation: Paulista School of Medicine, São Paulo Federal University, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Ponzi Pereira
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: de Paola
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009248:Nadolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D009248:Nadolol