title: Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in children: curative therapy with radiofrequency ablation.
abstract: Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia is a rare condition, and there is a lack of clear guidelines for the necessity and indications for prophylactic antiarrhythmic or curative treatment. The aim of this study was to review the clinical picture of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and evaluate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency ablation therapy in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects of this study were 16 children with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia. The mean age at onset of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia was 12 years. All patients underwent electrophysiological examination. Nonfluoroscopic mapping technology (Carto) was used in one case. Radiofrequency ablation was performed in all children (mean duration of follow-up was 46 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six children with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia were free of symptoms. Palpitation was the only complain in four patients, and six patients presented with symptoms of circulatory disorder (the tendency of the higher rate of ventricular tachycardia and more premature contractions and episodes of ventricular tachycardia in one day were noticed in five of them). All children after radiofrequency ablation were alive, and only one complication (complete right bundle branch block) occurred. Success at last follow-up included five children with left and six with right idiopathic ventricular tachycardia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catheter ablation seems a promising therapeutic option with the outlook possible of the idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in children. It is safe enough and should be considered as the therapy of choice even in children without of symptoms if they wish to live active social and physical life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Diseases, Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. vaiku.ligu.klinika@kmuk.lt
authors.forename: Dalia
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baksiene
authors.forename: Rima
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sileikiene
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sileikis
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazakevicius
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zabiela
authors.forename: Migla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zebiene
authors.forename: Aras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puodziukynas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012449:Safety; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome