title: 24-hour electrocardiographic study in myotonic dystrophy.
abstract: Thirty-eight consecutive adult patients with myotonic dystrophy were included in a study with electrocardiography at rest and 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. The patients were subdivided into three groups according to the severity of the disease. The prevalence of abnormal electrocardiograms at rest was 31, 50 and 100% in patients with mild, moderate and severe disease, respectively. The main characteristics observed at ambulatory electrocardiography were a high frequency of sinus bradycardia (58%) and intermittent atrioventricular block II (8%). These bradyarrhythmias were not correlated to the severity of the disease. Sustained atrial fibrillation or flutter was found in 3 patients (8%), all with the most severe form of the disease. Ambulatory electrocardiography should be used deliberately in the evaluation of patients with myotonic dystrophy and symptoms compatible with cardiac arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: B O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Olofsson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henriksson
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bjerle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D009223:Myotonic Dystrophy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies