Ventricular late potentials. Part II. Clinical importance and interpretation.

This second part of a review on the ventricular late potentials (VLP) includes most of the latest data on their clinical interpretation. A description of VLP characteristics in normal subjects is followed by an analysis of their significance in several cardiovascular diseases in which VLP presence has been almost currently investigated, i.e., acute myocardial infarction, postinfarction states, unexplained syncopes, cardiomyopathies and post-heart surgery states. Particular situations such as the congenital or acquired syndrome of long QT and VLP incidence, bundle branch blocks and VLP presence, the effect on the VLP of some anti-arrhythmogenic blockers of sodium channels are further discussed. Up to date information on the VLP significance in cardiovascular pathology and the author's personal experience on the VLP significance in patients with ischemic heart disease, syncopes, dilating cardiomyopathies or long QT interval are presented.