S. Boudiche

Ventricular tachycardia revealing drug abuse induced myocarditis: two case reports

Illicit drugs are an uncommon etiology of acute myocarditis but should be evocated in young population. This association may result in further complications, mainly ventricular arrhythmia and therefore increases sudden cardiac deaths among young abusers. Withholding drug intoxication to prevent recurrent events is a major key of management.

Cardiomyopathy induced by incessant ventricular tachycardia originating in the vicinity of the His bundle

A 04-year-old boy was referred to our institution with severe, progressive heart failure of 4-months duration associated with a persistent wide QRS tachycardia with left bundle branch block and severe left ventricular dysfunction. Because of incessant wide QRS tachycardia refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs, he was referred for electrophysiological study. The ECG was suggestive of VT arising from the right ventricle near the His area. Electrophysiological study revealed that origin of tachycardia was septum of the right ventricle, near His bundle, however the procedure was not successful and an inadvertent complete atrioventricular conduction block occurred. The same ventricular tachycardia recurred. A second procedure was performed with a retrograd aortic approach to map the left side of the interventricular septum. The earliest endocardial site for ablation was localized in the anterobasal region of left ventricle near His bundle. In this location, one radiofrequency pulse interrupted VT and rendered it not inducible. The echocardiographic evaluation showed partial reversal of left ventricular function in the first 3 months. The diagnosis was idiopathic parahisian left ventricular tachycardia leading to a tachycardia mediated cardiomyopathy, an extremely rare clinical picture in children.