Ventricular Ectopy in the Context of Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction: Risk Factors and Outcomes Following Catheter Ablation

Abstract

Background: Ectopy-mediated cardiomyopathy (EMC) is a potentially reversible form of left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Various risk factors for the development of EMC have been proposed in the literature. We aim to assess medium term outcomes of focal ventricular arrhythmia (VA) ablation in the setting of cardiomyopathy (CMP) and to validate published risk factors for EMC.

Methods: Medium term recovery of left ventricular (LV) function and freedom from VA recurrence was assessed and compared between patients undergoing focal VA ablation in the setting of CMP and a control group with normal LV function. Univariate and multivariate analyses for CMP risk factors were performed and compared against prior published risk factors.

Results: Of 152 patients who underwent 170 focal VA ablation procedures, 54 (36%) had CMP and the remaining 98 patients had normal LV systolic function. At medium term follow-up, 85% of patients with CMP were free of VA recurrence and median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) had improved from 40 to 52%. Age, male gender, premature ventricular complex (PVC) burden, non- right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) sites of origin, PVC QRS duration and PVC minimum coupling interval were predictive of CMP on univariate analysis, but only gender persisted on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions: Medium term outcome in patients undergoing focal VA in the setting of CMP are satisfactory with improvement in LV function achievable in most patients. Prior risk factors described in the literature are variable and inconsistent, likely reflecting heterogeneous study populations.

Keywords: Catheter ablation; Ectopy mediated cardiomyopathy; Premature ventricular complexes; Ventricular arrhythmias.