title: The increase in P-wave dispersion is associated with the duration of disease in patients with Behçet's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  P-wave dispersion (PD) has been reported to be associated with inhomogeneous and discontinuous propagation of sinus impulses. Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic multi-system disease presenting with recurrent oral and genital ulceration, and relapsing uveitis. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death have been documented in Behçet's disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate myocardial involvement noninvasively in patients with BD by measuring PD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study population included 29 patients with BD (group I), (16 males, mean age: 60.4+/-10.1 years), and 45 normal (group II), (23 males, mean age: 61.2+/-12.0 years). The maximum and minimum P-wave duration (Pmax and Pmin) and PD were measured from the 12-lead surface electrocardiogram. Echocardiographic examination was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between two groups in respect to age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and cigarette smoking (p>0.05). Pmax and PD of patients with BD were found to be significantly higher than those of control subjects (116.2+/-14.0 ms vs. 102.0+/-16.5 and 49.3+/-12.7 ms vs. 29.3+/-8.5 ms, respectively p<0.0001). Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between PD with BD duration (r=0.78, p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pmax and PD are found to be greater in patients with BD than in controls and are related with the duration of the disease.
authors.forename: Sait Mesut
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gursurer
authors.forename: Nesligul
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Nilgun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tekin
authors.forename: Cevdet
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Altinyazar
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Onuk
authors.forename: Rasit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sayin
mesh_terms: D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors