Mechanisms of chronic recurrent idiopathic ventricular tachycardia

In 24 patients with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (VT), mechanisms of VT and the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs after induction were studied electrophysiologically, and by exercise testing. VT was induced electrophysiologically in 14 patients. Class 1 antiarrhythmic drugs were effective in 7 of them, which implied that one of the mechanisms of idiopathic VT was reentry related to the depressed channel dependent slow conduction. In 6 of the 14 patients, the QRS morphology of VT showed a complete RBBB with axis deviation pattern and the tachycardia was responsive to verapamil. In 2 of them, induction of VT was facilitated at low plasma verapamil concentrations. In the other 2 patients, left ventricular mapping showed that a notched potential preceding each QRS complex and the retrograde His bundle deflection with a short interval were recorded during VT. These findings suggested that the mechanism of this type of VT was reentry, mediated by Ca dependent slow conduction and located within the left bundle branch network. Exercise testing provoked VT in eight. Beta-blockers and Ca-antagonists were effective in 6 and in 4, respectively. These findings indicate the possibility that in addition to enhanced automaticity or reentry, triggered activity could play a role in the genesis of exercise related VT.