[Chronic non-paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in children]

The paper provides the criteria for diagnosis and the results of conservative and surgical treatments for chronic supraventricular tachycardia. The author identifies 3 nosological entities for this type of tachycardia. These are: 1) sustained borderline reciprocal tachycardia; 2) atrial ectopic tachycardia; and 3) ectopic tachycardia. In sustained borderline reciprocal tachycardia, the promising drugs were found to be propaphenone, encainide, and phencainide. The surgical management of this tachycardia aimed at abolishing retrograde conduction and accessory pathways. The most beneficial procedure was shown by usage of cryotherapy in the area of the coronary sinus, this producing nearly 100% responses. The surgical management was less effective in patients with borderline ectopic tachycardia or the so-called His' tachycardia.