Clinical management of young competitive athletes with premature ventricular beats: A prospective cohort study.

Abstract Background Premature ventricular beats (PVBs) are not an unusual finding and their interpretation is sometimes challenging. Unfortunately, few data on the characteristics of PVBs that correlate with the risk of an underlying heart disease are available in athletes. Objectives The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of PVBs characteristics in competitive athletes. Methods From a cohort of 1751 athletes evaluated at our sports cardiology centre, we enrolled 112 competitive athletes Results The majority (79%) of athletes exhibited monomorphic PVBs with a fascicular or infundibular pattern (common morphologies). A definitive diagnosis of cardiac disease was reached in 26 athletes (23% of the entire population) and correlated with uncommon PVBs morphology (p  Conclusions Infundibular and fascicular PVBs were the most common morphologies observed in athletes with ventricular arrhythmias referred for cardiological evaluation. Morphology and complexity of PVBs, but not their number, predicted the probability of an underlying disease. Athletes with PVBs and negative investigation showed a good prognosis.