Recurrent Sustained Ventricular Tachycardia : Recent Understandings and Therapeutic Implications

This paper reviews the mechanism of recurrent sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) which have been extensively studied by the electrophysiological means. Initiation and/or termination of VT by electrical stimulation, resetting of VT by ventricular extrastimuli or by overdrive pacings, recording of continuous local electrical activity, and demonstration of slow conduction are all best explained by the re-entrant mechanism of recurrent sustained VT. The localization of the re-entrant circuit has become possible by mapping studies. The selection of antiarrhythmic regimens and non-pharmacological interventions guided by electrophysiologic study has been proved useful