P wave dispersion is prolonged in patients with Wilson's disease.
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.
Arat
Nurcan
N
Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Clinic of Cardiology, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey. aratnurcan@gmail.com
Kacar
Sabite
S
Golbasi
Zehra
Z
Akdogan
Meral
M
Sokmen
Yeliz
Y
Kuran
Sedef
S
Idilman
Ramazan
R
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