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Previous Volume 358:2024-2029 May 8, 2008 Number 19 Next

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SUMMARY

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is a potentially lethal disease characterized by adrenergically mediated ventricular arrhythmias manifested especially in children and teenagers. Beta-blockers are the cornerstone of therapy, but some patients do not have a complete response to this therapy and receive an implantable cardioverter–defibrillator (ICD). Given the nature of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, ICD shocks may trigger new arrhythmias, leading to the administration of multiple shocks. We describe the long-term efficacy of surgical left cardiac sympathetic denervation in three young adults with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, all of whom had symptoms before the procedure and were symptom-free afterward.

Source Information

From the University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (A.A.M.W., Z.A.B., D.R.K.); the University of Pavia (L.C., A.O., P.J.S.) and the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Policlinico S. Matteo (L.C., G.M.D.F., C.F., A.O., P.J.S.) — both in Pavia, Italy; the IRCCS Istituto Auxologico, Milan (M.F., P.J.S.); University Children's Hospital, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany (T.P.); and the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa (P.J.S.).

Address reprint requests to Dr. Wilde at the Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, B2-238, Amsterdam 1105 AZ, the Netherlands, or at a.a.wilde{at}amc.uva.nl.

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