# Treatment-Resistant Fascicular Ventricular Tachycardia: A Case Report

**Authors:** Ahmed Abotabekh, Mahmoud Eldesouky, Safiyyah Suleman, Riyaz Somani

PMC · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.102014 · 2026-01-21

## TL;DR

A young male with treatment-resistant fascicular ventricular tachycardia was successfully treated with catheter ablation after ineffective medical therapy.

## Contribution

This case report highlights the successful use of catheter ablation in a treatment-resistant fascicular VT case misdiagnosed for years.

## Key findings

- The patient experienced long-term misdiagnosis before posterior fascicular VT was identified.
- Medical therapy with verapamil was ineffective, but catheter ablation provided a good outcome.
- Fascicular VT can mimic supraventricular tachycardia due to narrow QRS complexes.

## Abstract

Fascicular ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a form of VT that arises through a re-entrant pathway utilising the Purkinje fibres. It can be categorised based on the anatomical origin of the re-entrant pathway. Fascicular VT typically affects young males. We present a case of a young male patient with treatment-resistant fascicular VT. A young male in his twenties spent much of his adolescence (8 years) suffering from sudden-onset and offset ‘panic attack’-like symptoms. A routine preoperative ECG showed posterior fascicular VT. After a poor response to medical therapy, the patient underwent two catheter ablation procedures, with a final good symptomatic outcome. Fascicular VT is often difficult to diagnose and can be misinterpreted as supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) given the narrow QRS. The mainstay of medical management is verapamil; however, more invasive treatments such as catheter ablation are available, yielding high success rates.

## Linked entities

- **Chemicals:** verapamil (PubChem CID 2520)
- **Diseases:** ventricular tachycardia (MONDO:0005477)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** infection (MESH:D007239), AV (MESH:D054537), dizziness (MESH:D004244), knee injury (MESH:D007718), posterior (MESH:D001041), thrombus (MESH:D013927), SVT (MESH:D013617), BBB (MESH:C538387), VT (MESH:D017180), panic attack (MESH:D016584), tamponade (MESH:D002305), infarction (MESH:D007238), cardiac perforation (MESH:D057112), cardiac disease (MESH:D006331), motion abnormalities (MESH:D009041), false aneurysm (MESH:D017541), Left bundle branch block (MESH:D002037), Sinoatrial (MESH:D012848), fibrosis (MESH:D005355), syncope (MESH:D013575), ischaemia (MESH:D007511), arrhythmia (MESH:D001145), tachyarrhythmias (MESH:D013610), cardiomyopathy (MESH:D009202), chest pain (MESH:D002637), ventricle (MESH:D002551), stroke (MESH:D020521)
- **Chemicals:** Verapamil (MESH:D014700), alcohol (MESH:D000438), calcium (MESH:D002118), adenosine (MESH:D000241)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

2 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12923253/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12923253