Background: We investigated the relationship between nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) and left ventricular (LV) dilatation, function, remodeling, and scar tissue extent in patients with previous myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results: Eighty-two patients (ages 64610 years) with first previous MI were referred for 24-hour electrocardiogram recording and cine and delayed enhancement (DE) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). LVvolumes, ejection fraction, systolic wall thickening, sphericity index, and core and peri-infarctual areas of scar tissue by CMR were evaluated. LV dilatation was observed in 39 patients. Episodes of NSVT were recorded in 32 patients: 23 with LV dilatation and 9 without. In the entire population, NSVTwas related to ejection fraction, LV volumes, LV mass, and sphericity index; end-systolic volume (P5.001) resulted in the only independent predictor at multivariate analysis. In patients without LV dilatation, the occurrence of NSVTwas only positively related with percentage of contracting segments with DE (P5.008). Conversely, in patients with LV dilatation, increase in LV mass (P5.020) and end-systolic volume (P5.038) were independent predictors of NSVT. Conclusions: Necrotic and viable myocardium coexistence within the same wall segments predicted occurrence of NSVT in patients without LV dilatation, whereas LV mass and end-systolic volume were predictors of NSVT in those with LV dilatation. (J Cardiac Fail 2010;16:61e68
