Mechanisms underlying spontaneous and induced ventricular arrhythmias in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background-To define the electrophysiological mechanism(s) of inducible and spontaneously occurring ventricular arrhythmias associated with nonischemi c cardiomyopathy, 3-dimensional intraoperative mapping from 156 intramural sites was performed in 6 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy un dergoing cardiac transplantation. Methods and Results-Electrode density was sufficient to determine the mecha nism for 52 of 74 beats of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) induce d by programmed stimulation and 9 of II bears of spontaneous ventricular ar rhythmias. The first, second, and third extrastimuli (S-2 through S-4) cond ucted with progressively greater degrees of conduction delay (total activat ion times [TAs] of 144+/-5, 166+/-5, and 194+/-5 ms, respectively) owing to slow conduction and on occasion intramural block. The first beats of induc ed VT arose from subendocardial or subepicardial sites distant from areas o f marked conduction delay by a focal mechanism on the basis of the absence of intervening electrical activity between the termination of the last extr astimulus and the initiation of VT (123+/-31 ms). Subsequent beats arose by a focal mechanism and conducted with a TA of 127+/-6 ms (P = NS versus ini tiating beats of VT [118+/-5 ms]). Spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias init iated in the subendocardium by a focal mechanism and conducted with a TA of 138+/-5 ms. Tissue analysis demonstrated a variable degree of interstitial fibrosis at sites of focal activation. Sites of conduction delay or block typically exhibited marked interstitial and/or replacement fibrosis but wer e spatially distant from sites initiating VT. Conclusions-Spontaneous and induced ventricular arrhythmias in patients wit h end-stage idiopathic cardiomyopathy can arise in the subendocardium or su bepicardium by a focal mechanism.