Body surface mapping of high-frequency components in the terminal portion during QRS complex for the prediction of ventricular tachycardia in patients with previous myocardial infarction. To study the clinical significance of terminal QRS high-frequency components for the prediction of ventricular tachycardia, an 87-lead body surface signal-averaged mapping was performed in 21 healthy subjects (control) and in 41 patients with previous myocardial infarction (anterior, 20; inferior, 21). Mapping data were analyzed and averaged (129.7 +/- 26.5 beats) for 160 seconds, and the signal-averaged beat was filtered with a bidirectional bandwidth (80-250 Hz) digital filter. J-point was determined from the 87-lead RMS voltage of nonfiltered QRS. For each lead, we calculated the sum of the absolute value of filtered QRS from 20 msec ahead of the J-point to the J-point (A-20). The body surface distribution of A-20 was expressed as A-20 map. The maxima in A-20 maps were mainly located on the upper sternal region in healthy subjects, on the left anterior chest in patients with previous anterior myocardial infarction, and on the central anterior chest in patients with previous inferior myocardial infarction. In the patients in both the group with anterior myocardial infarction and the group with inferior myocardial infarction, the value of maximum was significantly greater than in the subjects in the control group (0.181 +/- 0.086 and 0.138 +/- 0.048, respectively, vs. 0.075 +/- 0.031 mV.msec; p less than 0.01). In patients with myocardial infarction (n = 41), the value of maximum was significantly greater with ventricular tachycardia (n = 11) than without ventricular tachycardia (n = 30) (0.240 +/- 0.076 vs. 0.130 +/- 0.043 mV.msec; p less than 0.01). 