Ventricular Arrhythmias

Abstract

Ventricular arrhythmias (VA) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality especially in patients with structural heart disease. In the last decade, advanced imaging modalities such as cardiac magnetic resonance and nuclear imaging have progressively demonstrated a central role in the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with VA. In this setting, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) is acquiring a growing role, thanks to its capability to the assess presence of inflammation and myocardial viability, thus improving our capability to clarify arrhythmic mechanisms, stratify patients risk, and identify potential targets for catheter ablation procedures. Here we describe the principles and main clinical applications of 18F-FDG PET imaging in the setting of VA.