Focal atrial tachycardia mimicking catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia: a case report.

Ashman phenomenon Case report Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia Focal atrial tachycardia Sudden cardiac death Ventricular arrhythmia

Journal

European heart journal. Case reports
ISSN: 2514-2119
Titre abrégé: Eur Heart J Case Rep
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101730741

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Nov 2023
Historique:
received: 30 03 2023
revised: 03 11 2023
accepted: 10 11 2023
medline: 30 11 2023
pubmed: 30 11 2023
entrez: 30 11 2023
Statut: epublish

Résumé

In childhood and adolescence, cardiac arrhythmias are often benign in the absence of congenital heart defects. Nevertheless, life-threatening inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes can become clinically manifest in early childhood. As early symptoms may be similar in both conditions, thorough workup is fundamental to avoid delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis. We present the case of a 26-year-old Caucasian female patient who presented with recurrent non-sustained polymorphic wide complex tachycardia. Structural heart disease was excluded by echocardiography as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Due to wide complex extrasystoles and couplets with alternating QRS axis occurring at low levels of physical exertion, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) was suspected and further investigated. Epinephrine testing in combination with an electrophysiological (EP) study with placement of a coronary sinus catheter and subsequent programmed stimulation ruled out CPVT and unmasked wide complex tachycardia as varying aberrant conduction of focal atrial tachycardia (FAT). 3D-navigated mapping of FAT revealed a direct parahisian origin. Due to significantly increased risk of atrio-ventricular (AV) block during ablation, the patient refused ablation and preferred medical antiarrhythmic therapy. Given the consequences of both, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of CPVT, thorough workup is fundamental. In case of doubt regarding potential aberrant AV conduction in the context of wide complex tachycardia, an invasive EP study may easily and safely prove or rule out aberrancy.

Sections du résumé

Background UNASSIGNED
In childhood and adolescence, cardiac arrhythmias are often benign in the absence of congenital heart defects. Nevertheless, life-threatening inherited arrhythmogenic syndromes can become clinically manifest in early childhood. As early symptoms may be similar in both conditions, thorough workup is fundamental to avoid delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.
Case summary UNASSIGNED
We present the case of a 26-year-old Caucasian female patient who presented with recurrent non-sustained polymorphic wide complex tachycardia. Structural heart disease was excluded by echocardiography as well as cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Due to wide complex extrasystoles and couplets with alternating QRS axis occurring at low levels of physical exertion, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) was suspected and further investigated. Epinephrine testing in combination with an electrophysiological (EP) study with placement of a coronary sinus catheter and subsequent programmed stimulation ruled out CPVT and unmasked wide complex tachycardia as varying aberrant conduction of focal atrial tachycardia (FAT). 3D-navigated mapping of FAT revealed a direct parahisian origin. Due to significantly increased risk of atrio-ventricular (AV) block during ablation, the patient refused ablation and preferred medical antiarrhythmic therapy.
Discussion UNASSIGNED
Given the consequences of both, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of CPVT, thorough workup is fundamental. In case of doubt regarding potential aberrant AV conduction in the context of wide complex tachycardia, an invasive EP study may easily and safely prove or rule out aberrancy.

Identifiants

pubmed: 38034937
doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytad563
pii: ytad563
pmc: PMC10683947
doi:

Types de publication

Case Reports

Langues

eng

Pagination

ytad563

Informations de copyright

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Conflict of interest: None declared.

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Auteurs

Maria Sabine Seewald (MS)

Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Wuerzburg, University Clinic, Oberdürrbacherstraße 6, Wuerzburg D-97080, Germany.

Moritz Till Huttelmaier (MT)

Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Wuerzburg, University Clinic, Oberdürrbacherstraße 6, Wuerzburg D-97080, Germany.

Thomas Kriebel (T)

Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Cardiology, Westpfalz-Klinikum Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Thomas H Fischer (TH)

Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Wuerzburg, University Clinic, Oberdürrbacherstraße 6, Wuerzburg D-97080, Germany.

Classifications MeSH