Surgical Treatment of Ventricular Tachycardia in Infants

VENTRICULAR tachycardia is a rare arrhythmia in infancy,1 , 2 and is usually associated with the long-QT-interval syndrome,3 myocardial disease such as that found in myocarditis, congestive or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, severe hypertrophy due to aortic or pulmonary stenosis,4 or cardiac tumor.5 6 7 8 9 In the past three years, we have cared for eight infants under the age of two years who had incessant ventricular tachycardia — i.e., with little or no sinus rhythm present throughout the day. Two-dimensional echocardiography and angiography in both ventricles revealed no structural abnormalities in any patient. Because the tachycardia persisted despite conventional and investigational antiarrhythmic therapy, and because each . . .