Summary

Tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy (TIC) is a reversible form of the left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and is believed to be a relatively acute process. We report a TIC case with a 30-year history of long-lasting persistent atrial tachycardia involving a 44-year-old man previously diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and a low LV ejection fraction (LVEF) of 20%. ECG revealed atrial tachycardia at 110–120 bpm. He was hospitalised with a worsening heart failure. His clinical status was New York Heart Association functional class III, and echocardiography revealed LV dilation and an LVEF of 9%. A two-dimensional speckle-tracking strain measurement revealed LV mechanical dyssynchrony. He underwent radiofrequency ablation for atrial tachycardia. After restoring sinus rhythm, his cardiac symptoms improved immediately. The LV mechanical dyssynchrony decreased a week after ablation, without changes in the LV dilation or LVEF. Thereafter, the LV dilation and systolic function gradually improved, and atrial tachycardia and heart failure remained absent.