Monotypic vessels
November 12, 2012 | 20,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring
Dear medical team,
During the U8 examination, monophasic VES (2:1) were detected in our daughter. A follow-up examination ruled out myocarditis. She is not showing any physical symptoms. She is 4 years old, very active and fit, rides a bike, laughs and plays happily like all children.
Now, as a precaution, she is scheduled for a long-term ECG (in 2 months). The doctor was able to reassure us to some extent, but as parents, we still have a bad feeling and do not know how to deal with it. My wife is very worried and mentally distressed. How would you assess or judge the situation?
Regards
Good evening,
PVCs are not uncommon in healthy children and are harmless extra heartbeats that do not affect the pumping ability of the heart when they occur individually or in pairs. Only when they occur in salvos (many in a row) do they impair the pumping function and could pose a risk of a dangerous heart rhythm disorder. However, this was not mentioned in regards to your daughter.
Of course, it is always necessary to rule out that a myocarditis may be the cause of this electrical variant, but this has also been done.
To prove the harmlessness, it would be good if your daughter could undergo a stress ECG. However, this can only be done by a pediatric cardiologist, as she cannot be put on a bicycle for "adults" but must be stressed with, for example, squats. If the PVCs decrease under stress, you can be completely reassured.
Your wife really doesn't need to worry! As I mentioned before, PVCs are not a disease, but just an electrical variant. Even in healthy adults, having several hundred PVCs a day is completely normal, even more so in children.
Best regards,
Dr. Frauke Höllering, Specialist in Internal and General Medicine
