Non-invasive recording of late ventricular activity using an advanced method in patients with a damaged mass of ventricular tissue

Late potentials occurring after the QRS complex were detected on the body surface using an advanced signal averaging technique. ECG waveforms were recorded from patients with and without recurrent ventricular tachycardia who had a damaged mass of ventricular tissue (left ventricular aneurysm or right ventricular dysplasia). The recorded analog data were digitized by a 10 bit A/D converter with a sampling rate of 1280 Hz onto digital magnetic tape. The digitized waveforms were averaged with a CDC-6600 computer using an advanced algorithm which employs a cross correlation function to extract fiducial synchronizing marks for the signal averaging. Waveforms were filtered with a digital bandpass filter with 30 Hz and 250 Hz low and high cut-off frequencies, respectively. Late potentials were detected in seven out of ten patients with left ventricular aneurysm (or right ventricular dysplasia) and recurrent ventricular tachycardia and in four out of five patients with left ventricular aneurysm (or right ventricular dysplasia) but without recurrent ventricular tachycardia. The delayed depolarizations, which were recorded, had an amplitude of 3.0-27.0μV and extended a mean of 90 msec beyond the termination of the QRS complex. In three patients with left ventricular aneurysm the delayed waveforms were abolished by aneurysmectomy. In nine control subjects no late potentials were detected. We conclude that late potentials which represent late depolarization of a damaged mass of ventricular tissue can be detected in patients with and without recurrent ventricular tachycardia.