Introduction
Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is usually associated with structural
heart disease.1 However, VF also occurs in patients
without structural heart disease.2, 3 Early
repolarization pattern or J point elevation in the inferior and/or
lateral leads of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is associated with
pathogenesis in idiopathic ventricular fibrillation
(IVF).4-6 Furthermore, J point elevation in the right
precordial leads is also associated with IVF.7
Brugada syndrome (BrS) is also characterized by J point elevation in the
right precordial leads and is associated with risk of ventricular
fibrillation.8 The characteristic ECG pattern is often
found only in the right precordial leads placed at second and/or third
intercostal spaces in BrS.9 However, the significance
of high precordial ECGs is unknown in IVF. In this study, we compared
high right precordial ECGs between patients with idiopathic ventricular
fibrillation and healthy controls. We also studied the association of J
point elevation in high precordial ECGs with risk of VF recurrences.