[Late potentials and ventricular arrhythmia].

Abstract

When electrodes are placed at the surface of the thorax, high-amplification electrocardiography (HA-ECG) combined with signal summation as a function of time provides a non-invasive method for detecting electric potentials occurring after the QRS complex of the clinical electrocardiogram. These potentials are called late, and can probably be likened to the "divided" or "fragmented" potentials recorded directly on the heart or in its ventricles near zones of ischemia, infarction or aneurysm. The prevalence of late potentials of ventricular activation (LPVA) and their association with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias seems well established, notably in the presence of ventricular aneurysm and anamnesis of severe ventricular arrhythmia. Some studies have shown that detection of LPVAs is of value in identifying heart patients at risk of ventricular arrhythmia or sudden death. Heart disease aside, the presence of LPVAs has been demonstrated in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia and reported in Fallot's tetralogy after complete correction. A standardization of recordings and a more precise definition of LPVAs are necessary before HA-ECG can become a routine clinical method. Further, the possibility of "beat by beat" recordings with "spatial" summation will allow detection of LPVAs which vary with time and in nature and hence provide a better understanding of the genesis of ventricular arrhythmias.