Reappraisal of electrocardiographic criteria for localization of idiopathic outflow region ventricular arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND

Electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria have been proposed to localize the site of origin of outflow region ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Many factors influence the QRS morphology of VAs and may limit the accuracy of these criteria.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of ECG criteria that differentiate right from left outflow region VAs and localize VAs within the aortic sinus of Valsalva (ASV).

METHODS

One hundred one patients (mean age 52 ± 16 years; 55 [54%] women) undergoing catheter ablation of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) or ASV VAs with a left bundle branch block, inferior axis morphology were studied. ECG measurements including V2 transition ratio, transition zone index, R-wave duration index, R/S amplitude index, V2S/V3R index, V1-3 QRS morphology, R-wave amplitude in the inferior leads were tabulated for all VAs. Comparisons were made between the predicted site of origin using these criteria and the successful ablation site.

RESULTS

Patients had successful ablation of 71 RVOT and 38 ASV VAs. For the differentiation of RVOT from ASV VAs, the positive predictive values and negative predictive values for all tested ECG criteria ranged from 42% to 75% and from 71% to 82%, respectively, with the V2S/V3R index having the largest area under the curve of 0.852. Morphological QRS criteria in leads V1 through V3 did not localize ASV VAs. The maximum R-wave amplitude in the inferior leads was the sole criterion demonstrating a significant difference between right ASV, right-left ASV commissure, and left ASV sites.

CONCLUSION

ECG criteria for differentiating right from left ventricular outflow region VAs and for localizing ASV VAs have a limited accuracy.