Focal origin of ventricular fibrillation in a patient with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
A 65-year-old patient with history of ischemic cardiomyopathy admitted to the hospital for chest pain and subsequently experienced incessant ventricular fibrillation (VF), requiring repeated defibrillation. Coronary angiogram was unchanged, compared to a study a year before, and acute ischemia was not considered to be the etiology of the VF. A particular premature ventricular contraction morphology was noted on telemetry prior to each episode of VF. The patient subsequently underwent successful radiofrequency ablation of a focus in the left ventricular free wall. Careful examination of initiating foci of VF or polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, with radiofrequency ablation in appropriate cases, could be potentially life-saving.
Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA, USA. mahi_lakshmi@yahoo.com
Mahi Lakshmi
ML
Ashwath
Felix O
FO
Sogade
D000368:Aged; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy