Basal Crux Ventricular Tachycardia in Ischemic Heart Disease
Devendra S Bisht1, Kamal Kishor1
1Ojas Hospital, Panchkula, Haryana, India.
Insights
Basal crux ventricular tachycardia (VT) can occur in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Successful ablation in the middle cardiac vein (MCV) may offer a cure, even with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Cardiac Imaging
Background:
- Basal crux ventricular tachycardia (VT) is often misdiagnosed as idiopathic.
- Its association with ischemic heart disease (IHD) is frequently underestimated.
Observation:
- Two patients with myocardial infarction history presented with basal crux VT.
- Both patients showed recovery of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) post-ablation.
Findings:
- Basal crux VT can manifest in patients with IHD.
- Arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy may be reversible.
Implications:
- This challenges the idiopathic nature of basal crux VT.
- Proximal middle cardiac vein (MCV) ablation is a potential curative strategy.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of IHD in arrhythmogenesis.
Background:
Basal crux ventricular tachycardia (VT) is traditionally considered an idiopathic arrhythmia. However, its occurrence in patients with structural heart disease, especially ischemic heart disease (IHD), is often under recognised.
Case Summary:
We report two patients with a history of myocardial infarction who presented with basal crux VT. In both cases, VT was rendered non-inducible, and both patients experienced recovery of their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), indicating a significant burden of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy.
Discussion:
It is unclear whether IHD is purely coincidental or contributes to the underlying substrate promoting arrhythmogenesis.
Conclusion:
Basal crux VT can occur in patients with IHD and may resemble idiopathic epicardial VT. Ablation in the proximal middle cardiac vein (MCV) may be potentially curative.
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