Key result
Very late recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias occurred approximately 6 years after ventricular fibrillation due to blunt chest trauma, requiring epicardial ablation.
Why the study?
Commotio cordis can cause cardiac arrest in young athletes without identifiable structural damage, and its prevention and management often remain suboptimal, leading to dismal outcomes.
Case Report (n=1)
Very late recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias can occur years after commotio cordis, even without initial structural myocardial damage, and may require epicardial ablation.
Alerts clinicians to possible late recurrences after trauma-related VF; hypothesis-generating for surveillance and epicardial strategies.
(1) Background: Commotio cordis, caused by objects being directly delivered to the chest, may cause cardiac arrest in young athletes, even without identifiable structural damage to the sternum, ribs or heart itself. Its prevention and management often remain suboptimal, resulting in dismal outcomes. (2) Case summary: A 32-year semi-professional goalkeeper suffered from a non-penetrating blunt thoracic trauma after being struck by a high-velocity shot during a regional league soccer game. He immediately lost consciousness, collapsed, and was successfully resuscitated through early defibrillation of ventricular fibrillation. After an uneventful follow-up for approximately 6 years, recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia occurred, which could ultimately only be prevented by epicardial ablation. (3) Conclusion: Very late recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias may occur after ventricular fibrillation due to blunt chest trauma, even in the primary absence of evident structural myocardial damage.
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Spitaler et al. (2023) conducted a case report in Commotio cordis (n=1). Blunt thoracic trauma was evaluated on Recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia. Very late recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias occurred approximately 6 years after ventricular fibrillation due to blunt chest trauma, requiring epicardial ablation.
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