title: Value of ventricular premature complex (VPC) morphology in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Experimental and clinical studies have established the value of ventricular premature complexes (VPC) with a QR pattern in the diagnosis of occult antecedent myocardial infarction. However, the clinical significance of a QR pattern VPC in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has not been previously evaluated. In order to study this, we examined the ECGs and 24-hour Holter monitor records of 45 consecutive patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 106 consecutive patients with various other diseases. A QR pattern VPC in the precordial leads with a Q greater than or equal to 40 ms and a Q/R ratio greater than or equal to 0.20 had a specificity of 97%, a sensitivity of 29% and a predictive value of 80% in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We conclude that a QR pattern VPC may be of value in the eclectic diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and that it is not specific for antecedent myocardial infarction as previously reported.
mesh_terms: D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology