Dr.S.Venkatesan MD

How to name  a ventricular tachycardia ?

This  continues to be a  favorite past & present  time of  modern-day cardiologists. Especially ,  VTs associated with structurally normal heart  suffers with this  protracted problem .Widespread use of  EP study has not solved the issue as yet.

The   VTs that arise from the left ventricle in an apparently normal heart   has been referred  by  various terms.

• VT with structurally  normal heart
• Idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia
• Verapamil sensitive  VT
• Septal VT (It can be either myocardial /non myocardial origin)

• Narrow qrs VT
• Fasicular VT
• LVOT tachycardia
• Hemodynamically stable VT
• Belhassen VT

Now we have still more exotic VTs like Cuspal , mitral annular , etc . All of the above can mean anything , or same thing   in different centers  ,  different cardiologists in different times .

* RVOT tachycardias also have  many synonyms.( Adenosine sensitive, Adrenergic,  Gallavardin, Parkinson Pop, etc )

VTs associated with CAD , valvular , myocardial diseases generally devoid of  nomenclature problems. Ischemic VT  is yet to be classified in a proper fashion.

The confusion in classifying VT is  not due to the complexity of heart disease. It is due to  the general  comprehension failure as  every VT can be described with reference to clinical , ECG morphology, hemodynamics and presence or absence of underlying heart disease. A simplified and clinically useful VT classification is being prepared in this forum .Will be published shortly .