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Document Details : Title: Torsade de pointes with short coupling interval Author(s): B. Van den Branden , E. Wever , L. Boersma Journal: Acta Cardiologica Volume: 65 Issue: 3 Date: 2010 Pages: 345-346 DOI: 10.2143/AC.65.3.2050353 Abstract : Torsade de pointes (TdP), a ventricular tachycardia (VT) with the peaks of QRS complexes twisting around the iso-electric baseline and progressive amplitude and polarity variations, is mostly associated with long (congenital or acquired) QT syndromes (LQTS) and long coupling intervals of the initiating complex. We describe a patient with variant, short-coupled TdP, a normal QTc interval and without demonstrable structural heart disease. Mechanisms remain unclear but there may be a relationship with autonomic nervous system imbalance. Since anti-arrhythmic drug efficacy is uncertain, ICD-implantation seems the first-line therapy. If ventricular arrhythmia recurs despite drug therapy, catheter-ablation of initiating premature ventricular beats may be warranted. |
