title: P wave dispersion is prolonged in patients with Wilson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the P wave dispersion as a non-invasive marker of intra-atrial conduction disturbances in patients with Wilson's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared Wilsonos disease patients (n = 18) with age matched healthy subjects (n = 15) as controls. The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms, laboratory tests (ceruloplasmin, urinary and hepatic copper concentrations). P wave dispersion, a measurement of the heterogeneity of atrial depolarization, was measured as the difference between the duration of the longest and the shortest P-waves in 12 lead electrocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients were asymptomatic on cardiological examination and have sinusal rhythm in electrocardiography. Left ventricular and left atrial diameters, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular mass index were similar in both groups. The Wilson's disease patients had a significantly higher P wave dispersion compared with the controls (44.7 +/- 5.8 vs 25.7 +/- 2.5, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was an increase in P wave dispersion in cardiologically asymptomatic Wilson's disease patients which probably represents an early stage of cardiac involvement.
authors.affiliation: Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Clinic of Cardiology, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey. aratnurcan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arat
authors.forename: Sabite
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kacar
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Golbasi
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akdogan
authors.forename: Yeliz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sokmen
authors.forename: Sedef
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuran
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Idilman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged