title: The accessory papillary muscle with inferior J-waves--peculiarity or hidden danger?
abstract: Originally described in 1953, today the so-called J-wave is the source of much controversy. As a marker of so-called "early repolarization", this variant has been regarded as a totally benign variant since the 1960's. However, since then a wealth of data have indicated that the J-wave may be a marker of a highly arrhythmogenic substrate with a resultant high risk of sudden cardiac death.In this case report a case of an accessory papillary muscle with a prominent J-wave is described. This may be the first of many possible cases where papillary muscle variants may be the cause of the J-wave.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. jker@wol.co.za
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ker
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: du Toit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology