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The article presents a study which investigated the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in patients with myocarditis. VT is considered as a therapeutic challenge in individuals with myocarditis. It was concluded that in patients with myocarditis, RFCA of drug-refractory VT was deemed feasible, safe, and effective. Epicardial RFCA is recommended as an essential therapeutic option for improving the success rate.

The article presents a study which investigated the relationship between signal-averaged electrocardiogram (SAECG) and the myocardial substrate underlying right ventricular outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (RVOT-VAs). It was concluded that in patients with RVOT-VAs, abnormal SAECG parameters signified the presence of extensive cardiomyopathic involvement of the RVOT. A negative SAECG, however, does not reliably exclude cardiomyopathy-related RVOT-VAs in the presence of a small RVOT scar.

The article presents a study on the association between noninvasive diagnostic criteria for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and the presence of low-voltage areas (LVAs) detected at electroanatomic voltage mapping (EAM). The presence and location of LVAs were compared between noninvasive diagnostic criteria including electrocardiogram (ECG), signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The presence of LVAs correlate with SAECG abnormalities in patients with arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC).

Aims: Electrical storm is an emergency in 'implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator' carriers with ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and negatively impacts long-term prognosis. We evaluated the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in controlling electrical storm and its impact on survival and ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation recurrence., Methods: We enrolled 27 consecutive patients (25 men, age 73.1 ± 6.5 years) with ischemic DCM and an indication to RFCA for drug-refractory electrical storm. The immediate outcome was defined as failure or success, depending on whether the patient's clinical ventricular tachycardia could still be induced after RFCA; electrical storm resolution was defined as no sustained ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation in the next 7 days., Results: Of the 27 patients, 1 died before RFCA; in the remaining 26 patients, a total of 33 RFCAs were performed. In all 26 patients, RFCA was successful, although in 6/26 patients (23.1%), repeated procedures were needed, including epicardial ablation in 3/26 (11.5%). In 23/26 patients (88.5%), electrical storm resolution was achieved. At a follow-up of 16.7 ± 8.1 months, 5/26 patients (19.2%) had died (3 nonsudden cardiac deaths, 2 noncardiac deaths) and 10/26 patients (38.5%) had ventricular tachycardia recurrence; none had electrical storm recurrence. A worse long-term outcome was associated with lower glomerular filtration rate, wider baseline QRS, and presence of atrial fibrillation before electrical storm onset., Conclusion: In patients with ischemic DCM, RFCA is well tolerated, feasible and effective in the acute management of drug-refractory electrical storm. It is associated with a high rate of absence of sustained ventricular tachycardia episodes over the subsequent 7 days. After successful ablation, long-term outcome was mainly predicted by baseline clinical variables.

Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a significant therapeutic challenge in patients with myocarditis. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of VT in patients with myocarditis., Methods and Results: We enrolled 20 patients (15 men; age, 42 [28-52] years) with a history of biopsy-proven viral myocarditis and drug-refractory VT; 5 patients presented with electrical storm. The median left ventricular ejection fraction was 55% (45-60%). All patients underwent endocardial RFCA with an irrigated catheter, using contact electroanatomic mapping. Recurrence of sustained VT after endocardial RFCA was treated with additional epicardial RFCA. Endocardial RFCA was acutely successful in 14 patients (70%) while in the remaining 6 (30%) clinical VT was successfully ablated by epicardial RFCA. In 1 patient, hemodynamic instability required an intra-aortic balloon pump to complete RFCA. No major complication occurred during or after RFCA. Over a median follow-up time of 28 (11-48) months, 18 patients (90%) remained free of sustained VT; 2 patients (10%, both with baseline left ventricular ejection fraction≤35%) died of acute heart failure unrelated to ventricular arrhythmias., Conclusions: In patients with myocarditis, RFCA of drug-refractory VT is feasible, safe, and effective. Epicardial RFCA should be considered as an important therapeutic option to increase success rate.

Objective: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most frequent muscular dystrophy in adults. DM1 is a multisystem disorder also affecting the heart with an increased incidence of sudden death, which has been explained with the common impairment of the conduction system often requiring pacemaker implantation; however, the occurrence of sudden death despite pacemaker implantation and the observation of major ventricular arrhythmias generated the hypothesis that ventricular arrhythmias may play a causal role as well. The aim of the study was to assess the 2-year cumulative incidence and the value of noninvasive and invasive findings as predictive factors for sudden death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, ventricular fibrillation, sustained ventricular tachycardia and severe sinus dysfunction or high-degree atrioventricular block., Methods/design: More than 500 DM1 patients will be evaluated at baseline with a clinical interview, 12-lead ECG, 24-h ECG and echocardiogram. Conventional and nonconventional indications to electrophysiological study, pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator or loop recorder implantation have been developed. In the case of an indication to electrophysiological study, pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator or loop recorder implant at baseline or at follow-up, the patient will be referred for the procedure. At the end of 2-year follow-up, all candidate prognostic factors will be tested for their association with the endpoints., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT00127582., Conclusion: The available evidence supports the hypothesis that both bradyarrhythmias and tachyarrhythmias may cause sudden death in DM1, but the course of cardiac disease in DM1 is still unclear. We expect that this large, prospective, multicenter study will provide evidence to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in DM1.