OBJECTIVETo analyze the clinical features idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (IVT) and evaluate the effect of radiofrequency ablation therapy for their management.

METHODSAn retrospective analysis was conducted in 165 IVT patients who received radiofrequency ablation therapy. IVT was classified into 3 types according to the site of origin, namely the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT-IVT, 86 cases), left ventricular septum (LV-IVT, 75 cases), and left Valsalva sinus (4 cases).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONRVOT-IVT was more frequent in female patients than in male patients (60 vs 26, M/F ratio of 0.43). In LV-IVT, male patients prevailed (54 vs 21, M/F ratio of 2.57), suggesting a gender difference in the incidence of IVT. IVT occurred mainly in young and middle-age patients. Most RVOT-IVT occurred in the third to fourth decade of life (mean 36-/+12 years), and LV-IVT occurred at a younger age than did RVOT-IVT (mean 26-/+15 years, P<0.01). Twelve-lead ECGs revealed left bundle branch block morphology in RVOT-IVT, and most of them presented with frequent premature ventricular contraction and/or non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. All the RVOT-IVT patients were successfully ablated by radiofrequency energy in pace mapping. LV-IVT patients with right bundle branch block morphology presented sustained ventricular tachycardia for most of the time, and 97% of the patients were successfully managed with radiofrequency ablation in activation mapping. Four IVT patients were characterized by atypical bundle branch block, an inferior axis, and an R/S ratio >1 in lead V3 or V2, and their tachycardia was ablated successfully in the left sinus of Valsalva using pace mapping. Radiofrequency ablation is currently an effective procedure for IVT management.