Management of arrhythmia: Medications, electrophysiology studies and ablation

Abstract

In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation (AF), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), and ventricular tachycardia (VT) are common. Many of these arrhythmias are asymptomatic, especially if of short duration, but some can precipitate syncope, palpitations, hemodynamic collapse or sudden cardiac death (SCD). Therefore, the evaluation of such arrhythmias, both proactively and reactively, and their clinical significance in patients with HCM is of paramount importance. In this chapter, we will discuss the incidence, diagnosis, medical management, and role of invasive testing and ablation for arrhythmias in HCM patients.