Electrical alternans of the T-U wave without change in the QRS complex.
A patient with myelocytic leukemia who showed electrical alternans of the T-U wave with no change in the QRS complex following chemotherapy is described. Electrocardiogram taken 4 days later showed ventricular quadrigeminy in which the T-U wave of the first sinus beat after the ventricular premature contraction was markedly less prominent compared to the successive two sinus beats which showed marked prolongation and inverted T-U waves. The causative factors for alternans of T-U waves may include hypochloremic alkalosis with hypopotassemia and myocardial damage by anticancer drugs such as daunomycin and aclarubicin chloride used for the underlying disease.
Kanemoto
N
N
Department of Internal Medicine, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
Aoki
N
N
Goto
Y
Y
D015250:Aclarubicin / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000009:adverse effects; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged
D003561:Cytarabine; D015250:Aclarubicin; C015019:enocitabine; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D003630:Daunorubicin