Incidence, Determinants, and Prognostic Implications of True Pleomorphism of Ventricular Tachycardia in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defribillators

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (M-VT) with >1 QRS morphology during the same episode (pleomorphism [PL]) or in different episodes (multiple morphologies [MM]) has been described through ECG. Implantable cardioverter-defribillator (ICD) electrograms (EGs) provide the opportunity to analyze virtually all spontaneous M-VT episodes. We sought to study the incidence, determinants, and prognostic significance of PL and MM as assessed by ICD-EG in a prospective series of patients with ICDs. METHODS AND RESULTS: Spontaneous episodes of M-VT were analyzed before ICD intervention. PL was defined as >1 ICD-EG morphology, each having ≥6 consecutive identical beats during the same VT episode, and MM as >1 ICD-EG morphology in different M-VT episodes in the same patient. We analyzed 1881 M-VT episodes from 315 patients followed for 17 months. PL and MM occurred in 6% and 19%, respectively, of the total population (16% and 62% of patients with M-VT). Recurrent M-VT as diagnosis for ICD indication predicted PL and MM. Patients with PL more frequently developed MM (85% versus 15%; P<0.001) compared to patients without PL. Total mortality (5%) was significantly higher in patients with PL (20%), in patients with MM (11.5%), and in women (12%). In multivariate analysis, only PL (odds ratio, 5.33; P=0.009) and female sex (odds ratio, 3.1; P=0.038) predicted mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In a prospective series of patients with ICDs, mostly indicated for secondary prevention, both PL and MM of VT, as judged by ICD-EG, were not uncommon and were strongly associated. Female sex and the development of PL VT were the only independent predictors of mortality.