Baseline signal-averaged ECG and echocardiographic parameters identified the 10 patients who experienced sustained ventricular tachycardia during 8 years of follow-up.
Cohort (n=31)
Do baseline and longitudinal changes in signal-averaged ECG and echocardiographic parameters predict sustained ventricular tachycardia in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy?
Baseline signal-averaged ECG and echocardiographic parameters are more useful than their longitudinal modifications for identifying ARVC patients at risk for sustained ventricular tachycardia.
AIMS: The aims of our study were to evaluate late potential changes during long-term follow-up in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and to correlate these results with echocardiographic findings and sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) occurrence. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 31 patients (22 males and 9 females; mean age 29+/-16) during 8 years of follow-up by signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) and echocardiography. Ten subjects experienced episodes of sustained VT. During follow-up, all the SAECG parameters showed a progressive significant increase in late potentials. In contrast, echocardiographic indices did not show evidence of relevant modifications. Patients with sustained VT were characterized by significantly lower left and right ventricular ejection fractions, longer values of filtered QRS at 25/40/80-250 Hz filters, and longer high-frequency low-amplitude (HFLA) signals at 25-250 Hz at baseline. The analysis of SAECG modification during follow-up indicated that only HFLA signals at 25-250 Hz increased significantly in the sustained VT group. CONCLUSION: We detected a progressive increase in delayed ventricular conduction by SAECG not associated with significant echocardiographic changes. Therefore, the conduction disturbance seems to increase independently from anatomical alterations. The baseline SAECG and echocardiographic parameters, more than their modifications during follow-up, appear to be useful in identifying patients with sustained VT.
Folino et al. (Thu,) conducted a cohort in Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) (n=31). Signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) and echocardiography was evaluated on Late potential changes and correlation with echocardiographic findings and sustained ventricular tachycardia occurrence. Baseline signal-averaged ECG and echocardiographic parameters identified the 10 patients who experienced sustained ventricular tachycardia during 8 years of follow-up.