[Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia, an arrhythmia with good prognosis].
Three patients, one experiencing palpitations and two complaining of chest pain in stressful situations, appeared to have monomorphic wide complex tachycardia. After excluding channelopathy, structural abnormalities and ischaemia of the heart, this arrhythmia was classified as idiopathic. Symptoms disappeared in one patient after using metoprolol, a β-adrenoceptor blocker. The other two patients were treated with radiofrequency ablation of the focus from which the tachycardias arose. Idiopathic ventricular tachycardia mostly arises from the right ventricular outflow tract. The diagnosis is made upon history taking, including family history, echocardiography, 12-lead ECG, exercise testing and 24-hour Holter monitoring. The prognosis is excellent and sudden cardiac death is rarely seen.
Universitair Medisch Centrum St Radboud, afd. Cardiologie, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. c.camaro@cardio.umcn.nl
Cyril
C
Camaro
Hans S
HS
Bos
Joep L R M
JL
Smeets
D058671:Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology
D058671:Adrenergic beta-1 Receptor Antagonists; D008790:Metoprolol