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Published on: February 17, 2018
Ventricular tachycardia without apparent heart disease: long-term follow-up
Jean Marc Sellal1, Béatrice Brembilla-Perrot, Christine Suty-Selton
1Cardiology CHU of Brabois, Vandoeuvre Les Nancy, France.
Insights
Ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients without heart disease has a good long-term prognosis. Invasive treatment is rarely needed, with outcomes depending mainly on age and electrocardiogram patterns.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Ventricular tachycardia (VT) can occur in patients without structural heart disease.
- Understanding the long-term prognosis of such cases is crucial for clinical management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term prognosis of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients lacking structural heart disease (HD).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 810 patients with VT underwent Holter monitoring, exercise testing, echocardiography, and angiography.
- Electrophysiologic studies were conducted to assess VT inducibility.
- Follow-up duration averaged 9.7 years.
Main Results:
- Eighty patients (mean age 45 ± 17 years) had no apparent HD.
- VT was reproduced in 62 patients during electrophysiologic study.
- 50% of patients were alive without antiarrhythmic drug treatment at follow-up; 3 developed dilated cardiomyopathy, and 2 developed atrial fibrillation.
Conclusions:
- Invasive treatment for VT in patients without HD is infrequently required.
- Long-term prognosis is primarily associated with patient age and the electrocardiogram pattern of VT.
Unlabelled:
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the long-term prognosis of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients without structural heart disease (HD).
Methods:
Holter monitoring, exercise test, echocardiography, right angiography, coronary angiography, and electrophysiologic study were performed in 810 patients with VT.
Results:
Eighty patients (mean age, 45 ± 17 years) had no apparent HD. VT was reproduced at electrophysiologic study in 62 patients. Mean follow-up was 9.7 ± 7 years. Initially, 91% were treated with drugs. Defibrillator was implanted in 4, including 2 for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy diagnosed later. VT ablation was performed in 3 patients. Three patients older than 70 years died of nonarrhythmic cause. Other patients are alive without antiarrhythmic drug treatment in 50%. Three developed a dilated cardiomyopathy; and 2, atrial fibrillation.
Conclusions:
Invasive treatment was rarely required in patients with VT without HD. The prognosis was only dependent on the age and the pattern of electrocardiogram in VT.
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