[Clinical investigation on the patients with tachyarrhythmic syncope with special reference to comparative study...

The long QT syndrome (LQTS) is one of the important diseases that may lead to sudden death mainly in childhood, however etiology and pathogenesis are still poorly understood. The group studied consisted of 6 patients with a history of ventricular tachyarrhythmic syncope, 3 with long QT syndrome (LQTS) and 3 without long QT interval, and of 4 patients with ventricular tachycardia without syncopal episode. Their ages ranged from 5 years to 17 years. Histopathology of endomyocardial biopsy was nonspecific and mild in two cases but in one patient with LQTS, who had several episodes of syncope and refractory ventricular arrhythmia, remarkable subendocardial fibrosis, interstitial fibrosis and hypertrophy of myocytes were demonstrated. As far as ventricular tachycardia without long QT interval was concerned, in the patients with VT with syncope, histopathological abnormalities were more remarkable than in those without syncope. Electrophysiological findings in the patients with LQTS showed no characteristic findings, but only mild abnormalities with functional atrioventricular conduction disturbance on programmed atrial pacing. No inducible VT was demonstrated. Although electrophysiologic study and endomyocardial biopsy are of limited value, such studies are considered to be worthwhile for treating ventricular arrhythmias, and making a prognosis of the patients with tachyarrhythmic syncope and LQTS.