Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is an abnormal heart rhythm where the bottom chambers of your heart beat too quickly. People with severe cases may experience sudden cardiac arrest.
Conditions that cause your heart to beat in an abnormal rhythm are called arrhythmia. Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, which involves your ventricles — the bottom chambers of your heart — is a type of arrhythmia.
What is polymorphic ventricular tachycardia?
Varying patterns of rapid beating, originating in your ventricles due to abnormal electrical activity in your heart, characterize ventricular tachycardia .
Ventricular tachycardia can be monomorphic or polymorphic, based on the results of a test called an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) . People with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia have beat-to-beat variations in their heart’s electric activity. In other words, more than one abnormality is observed with each heartbeat.
Your heart’s electrical activity
Your heart produces electrical activity through a set pattern to promote your heartbeat.
- A mass of tissue called your sinoatrial node found in your right atrium — upper heart chamber — creates an electrical signal. This signal tells the atria to pump blood, producing your heartbeat.
- The electrical signal travels throughout your heart until it reaches another special bundle of cells called the atrioventricular (AV) node, where the signal is slightly delayed.
- The signal then reaches your ventricles, causing them to contract and pump blood out of your heart.
In people with ventricular tachycardia, the electrical signal tells the ventricles to beat too quickly.
People with a minor case of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia might only experience it for a few seconds without it causing noticeable symptoms. However, longer episodes can be life threatening.
Read more about how your heart works .
What causes ventricular tachycardia?
Different conditions may cause polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, but the most common cause is acute coronary syndrome.
Acute coronary syndrome is when the blood vessels that supply your heart suddenly narrow, usually due to the buildup of plaque. This plaque can detach, causing a blood clot.
Most people with ventricular tachycardia have other heart conditions, including:
Other causes of ventricular tachycardia may include:
- medication side effects
- electrolyte imbalances
- a high intake of alcohol or caffeine
Read more about risk factors for heart arrhythmia .
Symptoms of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
Ventricular tachycardia can be sustained or unsustained. Unsustained means it lasts less than 30 seconds and doesn’t cause changes to blood flow through the heart. People with unsustained ventricular tachycardia may not have any symptoms.
Sustained ventricular tachycardia lasts longer than 30 seconds or interrupts blood flow through the heart. Signs and symptoms of sustained ventricular tachycardia may include:
Emergency medical attention is essential if you develop any of these symptoms. Without proper management, sustained ventricular tachycardia can lead to complications like:
Read more about when to worry about heart palpitations .
Vs. monomorphic ventricular tachycardia
A rapid beating of your ventricles characterizes both polymorphic and monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.
ECG readings of people with monomorphic ventricular tachycardia show a single irregularity that appears unchanged with each heartbeat.
Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia manifests as a varying rhythm or pattern or as more than one abnormality that changes with each heartbeat.
How do doctors diagnose and treat polymorphic ventricular tachycardia?
Doctors primarily diagnose ventricular tachycardia with an ECG. This test involves placing adhesive electrodes on the chest to measure the heart’s electrical activity.
An ECG creates a printout with a line correlating with your heart’s electrical activity. Each section of the line represents a different part of your heartbeat. A section that appears as a slight dip, a prominent peak, and another small dip is called the QRS complex. It represents the contraction of your ventricles.
People with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia have beat-to-beat variation in the QRS complex. If you have a specific abnormality in this section, a doctor may tell you you have torsades de pointes .
You may also receive other tests to support your diagnosis or rule out ischemic disease , such as:
You might not need treatment if you don’t have symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may require:
Read more about medications for arrhythmia .
In an emergency, you may need:
Outlook
The outlook for people with ventricular tachycardia largely depends on the underlying cause. In general, people with underlying heart disease have a more conservative outlook than people with no underlying heart condition.
People with a rare inherited condition called catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia are at a high risk of cardiac arrest. Up to 30% of people with the condition develop cardiac arrest if left untreated.
Consulting with a medical professional when you notice cardiovascular symptoms is highly advised.
Read about the potential complications of heart arrhythmia .
Takeaway
Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is an abnormal heart rhythm where the bottom chambers of your heart beat too quickly and in a varying pattern. Doctors can observe these patterns on an ECG.
Ventricular tachycardia often has a positive outlook when treated early or if there is no underlying heart disease. You must seek medical attention immediately if you develop symptoms, like unexplained dizziness or shortness of breath.
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