Clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of ventricular tachycardia in children with normal hearts.

Characteristics of 18 patients with clinical ventricular tachycardia (VT) and normal hearts documented by physical examination, echocardiography, and angiocardiography were analyzed. There were 13 males and 5 females, aged 1 to 16 years (mean +/- SD, 9.7 +/- 4.8 years). Six patients had hemodynamic instability during VT and the other 12 patients were hemodynamically stable. Two patients (11%) presented with sustained VT and 16 (89%) with episodes of nonsustained VT at varying intervals (3 of 16 with repetitive monomorphic VT). Among 14 patients on whom exercise tests were performed, seven had exercise-induced VT. During electrophysiologic studies, VT was induced in 16 of 18 (89%) (in 13 patients with morphology identical to clinical VT). VT was induced by programmed stimulation (single, double, and burst stimulation of the right atrium or right ventricular apex during sinus rhythm or during pacind for eight beats) in 5 of 18 (28%) patients; with isoproterenol, VT was aggravated spontaneously in 6 of 15 (40%) patients; and during stimulation VT was induced in 8 of 15 (53%) patients. Among patients whose VT was not induced during programmed stimulation, VT was induced with the addition of isoproterenol in 11 of 12 (92%). All 14 patients in follow-up are in stable condition, seven patients with medication and seven without medication. Pediatric patients with normal hearts and clinically detected VT usually have VT induced by programmed stimulation, either with or without isoproterenol stimulation.