Cardiac Radiosurgery for Malignant Ventricular Tachycardia

Abstract

Ventricular tachycardia is a frequent cause of mortality after myocardial infarction. Current treatment includes the implantation of cardioverter defibrillators and adjunctive therapies, such as catheter ablation or cardiac surgery. In patients where standard treatment fails, preclinical data showed that radiosurgery ablation of the ectopic substrate might be a viable option. Authors present a case report of cardiac radiosurgery in a patient with malignant ventricular tachycardia. The stereotactic radiosurgery system, CyberKnife, was used; the applied dose was 25 Gy in one fraction. Within the follow-up period of 120 days, no signs of toxicity were noted and no episode of malignant arrhythmia has been detected. This case report demonstrates that stereotactic radiosurgery of recurrent ventricular tachycardia after inefficient catheter ablation might be a viable option for patients unsuitable for cardiosurgical intervention. Further research on this topic is highly warranted.