Insights into Catheter Ablation of Ventricular Tachycardias in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy / Dysplasia

Authors

  • Sokratis Pastromas Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens
  • Emmanuel Koutalas Leipzig Heart Center, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2015/hc.v10i4.747

Keywords:

sudden cardiac death, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation, implantable cardioverter defibrillator, catheter ablation/mapping

Abstract

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/ dysplasia (ARVC/D), mostly affecting young/middle-aged individuals, poses a significant risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and subsequent sudden cardiac death (SCD). Antiarrhythmic agents (AAA) provide insufficient arrhythmia suppression and prevention and can be proarrhythmic. Thus, the implantable cardioverters-defibrillator (ICD) is considered the first-line treatment, especially in patients with secondary prevention indication. Nevertheless, catheter ablation is an additional therapy to the ICD which has proved its efficacy in primary and secondary prevention of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The superiority of the combined endo- and epicardial VT ablation in this population is clear since the ARVC/D substrate has been shown to be mostly epicardial. Due to progressive nature of ARVC/D, ablation seems to be a useful tool for the patients who experience recurrent VT episodes or electrical storms.

Author Biography

Sokratis Pastromas, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens

Specialty: Cardiology

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Published

2015-10-08

Issue

Section

TECHNIQUES