Table 1.
Main diagnostic tests for premature ventricular contraction evaluation
| Diagnostic tool | Area of use |
|---|---|
| The 12-lead ECG | • Findings showing a structural heart disease |
| • The frequency and the origin of PVCs | |
| • Unifocal or multifocal morphology | |
| Ambulatory monitoring | • The burden of PVCs |
| • Morphology (Unifocal or multifocal) | |
| • More complex ventricular arrhythmia (nonsustained or sustained VAs) | |
| • Correlation between PVCs and symptoms | |
| • The relationship between PVCs and exercise | |
| • Determination of PVCs’ origin, significant changes in QT interval or ST segment | |
| (The 12-lead ambulatory monitoring) | |
| Echocardiography | • Assessment of cardiac structure and functions |
| • Evaluation of improvement in cardiac functions after PVC treatment | |
| Cardiac MRI | • To reveal the underlying infiltrative diseases, edema, and fibrosis |
| • Discrimination between scar areas associated with ischemic and nonischemic CMP | |
| • Risk stratification of sudden cardiac death and VAs | |
| Exercise testing | • Assessment of the presence or absence of structural, coronary, or hereditary arrhythmic conditions |
| • Evaluation of decrease or increase in PVCs | |
| Coronary angiography | • Coronary anatomy in patients with ischemic symptoms or positive stress testing |
| • Coronary artery proximity during catheter ablation procedures | |
| FDG cardiac PET | • Assessment of underlying inflammation |
| • To detect and characterize SHD | |
| EPS | • Identification of PVC mechanism or origin |
| • Risk stratification for sudden cardiac death |
CMP - cardiomyopathy; ECG - electrocardiography; EPS - electrophysiologic study; FDG - fluorodeoxyglucose; MRI - magnetic resonance imaging; PET - positron emission tomography; PVC - premature ventricular contraction; SHD - structural heart disease; VA - ventricular arrhythmia