[The response of ventricular tachycardia to adenosine administration]

Ten patients with ventricular tachycardia were studied. Two groups were formed. Group A included 5 patients with idiopathic ventricular tachycardia and group B included 5 patients with coronary heart disease. In all patients an electrophysiologic study was performed and monomorphic sustained ventricular tachycardia was induced through programmed stimulation. All patients received 12 mg of intravenous adenosine. The response was satisfactory in 3 of 5 patients in group A, with the presence of sinus rhythm. No response was seen in the other 2 patients. None of the patients in group B responded to the administration of intravenous adenosine. We concluded that adenosine may be useful in patients with cyclic AMP-mediated triggered activity ventricular tachycardia, in contrast to the coronary heart disease patients in which the mechanism is reentry. This interpretation is supported by results obtained in 15 experiments in canine heart.