title: Risk of vasovagal syncope and cardiac arrhythmias in children with mitral valve prolapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Postural phenomena, cardiac arrhythmias and autonomic dysfunction are responsible for presyncope and syncope in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP). In this study, arrhythmia and vasovagal syncope incidence were investigated in children with MVP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 2005 and December 2006, 37 children with MVP and 26 healthy children were evaluated.Telecardiography, electrocardiography (ECG), echocardiography, Holter monitoring, exercise test and head-up tilt test were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MVP group consisted of 19 boys and 18 girls with a mean age of 11.8 years. The control group was similar with respect to age and gender. Telecardiography, ECG, Holter monitoring, exercise test and QTc of all children were within normal limits. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of QT dispersion. The tilt table test was positive in 11 of 37 (29.7%) children with MVP and in 1 of 26 (3.8%) normal healthy children. This difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Arrhythmia and syncope frequency was found to be higher in children with MVP than in the normal population. The risk of vasovagal syncope indicated by a positive tilt test was found to be increased in children with MVP. Therefore, patients and families must be informed about the conditions that may predispose to vasovagal syncope and caution should be recommended in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Uludag University, Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Neonatology, Bursa, Turkey. drmerih@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Merih
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cetinkaya
authors.forename: Evren
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Semizel
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bostan
authors.forename: Ergun
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology