Occult Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation After Preoperative Cardiovascular Evaluation

Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation is characterized by malignant ventricular arrhythmias without identifiable structural heart disease or inherited arrhythmia syndrome.

A 50-year-old man suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest approximately 1 hour after preoperative cardiovascular clearance for elective surgery. He had no preceding symptoms or known structural heart disease. Immediate bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation resulted in successful resuscitation. Coronary angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, electrophysiological study, and genetic testing were unrevealing. A dual-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was implanted for secondary prevention. Longitudinal device interrogation later demonstrated sustained ventricular tachycardia terminated by antitachycardia pacing.

This case highlights the limitations of current cardiovascular risk stratification in identifying occult malignant ventricular arrhythmias and reinforces the importance of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy for secondary prevention.

Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation may present as sudden cardiac arrest despite unrevealing structural evaluation and apparently reassuring preoperative cardiovascular assessment. Survivors of unexplained ventricular fibrillation remain at substantial risk for recurrent malignant arrhythmias, reinforcing the importance of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy for secondary prevention.