Genetics of Inherited Arrhythmias in Children

Abstract

Over the past two decades, breakthroughs in basic science have revealed the genetic etiology for several inherited arrhythmias. Onset of arrhythmias often commences in childhood and adolescence. The aim of the article is to provide a succinct overview of the genetic background of diseases that may cause life threatening arrhythmias in children and provide a description of reported genotype-phenotype relationships. Inherited channelopathies, namely, those causing long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, catecholamine sensitive ventricular polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and Brugada syndrome and two cardiomyopathies (hypertrophic and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia) associated with ventricular arrhythmias are discussed.