Disappearance of giant negative T waves in patients with the Japanese form of apical hypertrophy.
OBJECTIVE
The present study investigated the long-term changes in the electrocardiographic (ECG) hallmarks of the Japanese form of apical hypertrophy.


BACKGROUND
Giant negative T waves and tall R waves in the left precordial leads are the ECG hallmarks of the Japanese form of apical hypertrophy. However, the long-term course is largely unknown.


METHODS
Twenty-nine patients with apical hypertrophy (26 men, 3 women, mean age +/- SD 50.4 +/- 8.2 years) who showed left precordial giant negative T waves (< or = -10 mm) and tall R waves (> or = 26 mm) and spade configuration in the left ventriculogram were followed up for 10.9 +/- 3.7 years.


RESULTS
The intermediate follow-up ECGs (5 to 9 years) showed disappearance of giant negative T waves in 31% and of tall R waves in lead V5 in 6%. At the long-term follow-up study (> or = 10 years), loss of giant negative T waves increased to 71%, with average T wave negativity in lead V4 or V5 decreasing from -16.5 +/- 5.1 to -6.9 +/- 4.2 mm. These T wave changes were associated with decreases in R wave amplitude in lead V5 from 40.7 +/- 9.6 to 26.1 +/- 13.8 mm, with loss of tall R waves in lead V5 in 38% of patients and development of abnormal Q waves in two patients.


CONCLUSIONS
During the long-term follow-up of the Japanese form of apical hypertrophy, giant negative T waves disappeared in association with decreases in R wave amplitude in lead V5, indicating that these ECG hallmarks are clinical features that evolve progressively during the natural course of the disease.
Koga
Y
Y
Third Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Katoh
A
A
Matsuyama
K
K
Ikeda
H
H
Hiyamuta
K
K
Toshima
H
H
Imaizumi
T
T
D000328:Adult; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged