REVIEW   

Minerva Pediatrica 2017 October;69(5):427-33

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.17.05031-9

Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Premature ventricular complexes in children with structurally normal hearts: clinical review and recommendations for diagnosis and treatment

Fabrizio DRAGO ¹ ✉, Loira LEONI ², Gabriele BRONZETTI ³, Berardo SARUBBI ⁴, Giulio PORCEDDA ⁵

¹ Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Arrhythmia Unit, Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Surgery, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital and Institute for Research, Rome, Italy; ² Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy; ³ Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Bologna, Italy; ⁴ Adult Congenital Heart Disease Unit, Monaldi Hospital, Naples, Italy; ⁵ Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Anna Meyer Children’s Hospital, Florence, Italy

Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) have always been a matter of debate among physicians and a cause for concern for family members of affected patients. The available literature on isolated PVCs in children is limited to case reports and small single-center retrospective series that are consistent in demonstrating the benign course of PVCs and their frequent disappearance during childhood, though many questions remain unanswered. Nevertheless, two key actions should be undertaken in pediatric patients with documented PVCs: 1) to rule out the presence of structural heart disease; 2) to determine whether symptoms are due to PVCs, or whether PVC frequency is responsible for left ventricular dysfunction. This document aims to provide concise and easy to understand recommendations on the diagnostic work-up of healthy children with simple PVCs and the appropriate clinical and therapeutic approach.

KEY WORDS: Ventricular premature complexes - Child - Therapeutics