Long QT Syndrome in Children

he advent of genetic testing and the implantable ardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) have so revolutionized the utlook for patients with long QT that the cardiac commuity needs to revise its thinking about long QT syndrome LQTS). This is the underlying message of a report by theridge et al. (1) in this issue of the Journal. Etheridge et al. (1) studied 128 children with LQTS. bout one-half of their patients were probands (47%) and he rest (53%) were identified during screening in relatives f probands. A significant aspect of their report is the umber of nonprobands, a rather unique and underreported roup. After acknowledging the caveats of any clinical etrospective study, their conclusions are that certain types f LQTS may not be as lethal as previously thought.