title: Penicillamine-induced polymyositis with complete heart block.
abstract: Complete heart block with severe Adams-Stokes attacks and polymyositis was observed in a 69-year-old man following 6 weeks penicillamine treatment for suspected rheumatoid arthritis. After drug withdrawal the muscle enzymes and the cardiac rhythm gradually normalized, only leaving a right bundle branch block. Although this is the first report to show that severe cardiac damage associated with penicillamine-induced polymyositis is a potentially reversible condition, the severity of the three cases reported so far warrants close observation for cardiac involvement in patients with penicillamine-induced polymyositis.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Cardiology, Skejby Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000139:chemically induced; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D006327:Heart Block / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009220:Myositis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D010396:Penicillamine