[Ventricular tachycardia. Diagnostic spectrum and therapeutic measures]

The origin of ventricular tachycardia lies in the ventricular tissue and includes a variety of symptoms such as monomorphic and polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT), ventricular flutter and ventricular fibrillation. Due to transitions of one form of VT to another, any form of VT incurs in principal the risk of cardiac failure. Apart from different electrophysiologic mechanisms such as reentry or triggered activity, any occurrence of VT has to be considered in an individual context: VT can be caused by structural heart disease such as coronary artery disease or dilative cardiomyopathy, or primary electrical disease such as long or short QT syndromes or can even occur without any detectable cause (idiopathic VT). Correct identification of the underlying cause of the arrhythmia is essential for the prognosis, differential therapy and long-term treatment of patients.