Circulation Journal
Online ISSN : 1347-4820
Print ISSN : 1346-9843
ISSN-L : 1346-9843

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J-Wave Elevation in the Inferior Leads Predicts Lethal Ventricular Arrhythmia Initiated by Premature Ventricular Contractions With Right Bundle Branch Block and Superior Axis
Yumi MunetsuguMitsuharu KawamuraToshihiko GokanKo OgawaYuya NakamuraAkinori OchiKoichiro InokuchiHiroyuki ItoTatsuya OnukiYouichi KobayashiToshiro Shinke
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML Advance online publication
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Article ID: CJ-19-0021

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Abstract

Background:Lethal ventricular arrhythmia (VA) can be initiated by idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating from the left ventricular (LV) inferior wall. Furthermore, J-wave elevation in the inferior leads on ECG is sometimes associated with lethal VA. However, the relationship between these PVCs and J-wave elevation in patients with lethal VA is unclear, so we investigated it in the present study.

Methods and Results:We studied 32 consecutive patients who underwent radiofrequency (RF) ablation of idiopathic PVCs with right bundle branch block (RBBB) and superior axis. Thee PVCs were originating from the inferior wall of the LV. Lethal VA was defined as ventricular fibrillation (VF) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) with loss of consciousness (LOC). Among 32 patients, 3 had VF and 2 had VT with LOC. Other 27 had non-lethal VA. Baseline clinical characteristics were not significantly difference between lethal and non-lethal VA. The ratio of J-wave elevation in lethal VA was significantly higher as compared with non-lethal VA (100% vs. 11.1%, P<0.0001). Furthermore, no patients with J-wave elevation in the inferior leads had recurrence of lethal VA after RF ablation of the PVCs.

Conclusions:We speculate that J-wave elevation in the inferior leads might be a predictor of lethal VA initiated by PVCs with RBBB and superior axis. RF ablation of these PVCs was a useful method of treating lethal VA.

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© 2019 THE JAPANESE CIRCULATION SOCIETY
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