EMERGENCY CASEBOOKS
Persistent idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in a 28-year-old woman
1 United Bristol Healthcare Trust, Bristol, UK
2 Cheltenham General Hospital, Cheltenham, UK
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to Dr S H Dorman, University Hospital, Bristol BS9 4EU, UK; stephendorman{at}yahoo.co.uk
The case history is presented of a normally fit and well 28-year-old woman with idiopathic right ventricular outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (RVOT VT). Presentation was with a broad complex tachycardia unresponsive to first-line anti-arrhythmic drugs and DC cardioversion (immediate recurrence) but highly sensitive to flecainide and eventually successfully treated with catheter ablation. Assessment and management of broad complex tachycardia is challenging but requires a structured approach to the underlying differential diagnosis. Ventricular tachycardia may occur in structurally normal hearts and not cause haemodynamic compromise despite persistence over 48 h, as in this case. The clinical history, ECG morphology and response to adenosine were all instrumental in making the diagnosis and hence tailoring appropriate anti-arrhythmic therapy when DC cardioversion failed.
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