Short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes.

Abstract

Presented in this paper were 3 cases of a special kind of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT). The clinical manifestation was recurrent syncope without organic heart disease. The electrocardiogram (ECG) was characterized by normal QT intervals with short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes. The efficacy of treatment with class I, II, III antiarrhythmic drugs was not apparent but verapamil had an excellent therapeutic effect for it. This kind of VT had a high incidence of sudden death, so it was very important for physicians to identify and treat it promptly with long-term verapamil. The mechanism of short-coupled variant of torsade de pointes was unclear. It probably had some relationship with triggered activity or imbalance of autonomic nervous system.