Multipolar QRST isointegral maps and QT dispersion in old myocardial infarction.
Chronic myocardial infarction (CMI) may create, due to structural heterogeneity, abnormal electrophysiological substrates which trigger re-entrant life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias.


METHODS
Electrical instability is assessed using body surface mapping (BSM) [multipolar isointegral QRST maps (mp I(QRST))] and 12-lead ECG (QT dispersion: QTd: the difference between maximal and minimal QT interval). The aim was to find the relation between mp I(QRST) and QTd in CMI patients.


RESULTS
The 32 CMI patients, underwent 12-lead ECG and 64-lead BSM. The 80% (25) of the patients had mp I(QRST) maps. QTd was larger in patients with mp than those with dipolar maps (dp): 170 +/- 20 ms in mp vs 94 +/- 19 ms in dp, respectively. The latter, mp I(QRST) was associated with a decrease of maximum and a stronger minimum.


CONCLUSIONS
Multipolar I(QRST) is associated with a loss of maximum values and increased absolute values of the minimum in CMI patients. I(QRST) and QTd provide similar information in predicting postinfarction arrhythmia risk.
Mozos
Ioana
I
Department of Pathophysiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes", Timisoara, Romania. ioanamozos@umft.ro
Hancu
M
M
Jost
N
N
Cristescu
A
A
D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis; D018780:Body Surface Potential Mapping / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors