Initiation of ventricular tachycardia by supraventricular beats

9 patients (6 males and 3 females, age 5-69 years) with ventricular tachycardia induced by supraventricular beats are reported. 3 patients had had previous myocardial infarction, 1 patient had mitral valve prolapse and in 5 patients no organic heart disease could be demonstrated. Ventricular tachycardia was initiated by a single atrial premature beat in 4 patients, double atrial premature beats in 3 patients (in 1 of them following exercise), by nonsustained AV nodal tachycardia in 1 patient, by rapid atrial pacing in 3 patients and exercise-related ectopic atrial tachycardia in 1 patient. Programmed ventricular stimulation induced ventricular tachycardia in all patients in whom the tachycardia was induced by atrial stimulation. Verapamil abolished sustained ventricular tachycardia in 1 of the 3 patients in whom this drug was administered. Hypotheses are made on the electrophysiological mechanisms of the arrhythmias and clinical implications are listed.