Electrocardiographic markers for the early detection of cardiac disease in patients with beta-thalassemia major.
OBJECTIVE
To comparatively evaluate P-wave dispersion (PWD) in patients with beta-thalassemia major (TM) and healthy control subjects for the early prediction of arrhythmia risk.


METHODS
Eighty-one children with beta-TM, aged 4-19 years, and 74 healthy children (control group) underwent routine electrocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography for cardiac evaluation. PWD was calculated as the difference between the maximum and the minimum P-wave duration.


RESULTS
There was a statistically significant difference between study and control groups in peak early (E) mitral inflow velocity and E/late (A) velocity ratio. Maximum P-wave duration and PWD were found to be significantly higher in beta-TM patients than in control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased PWD in our beta-TM patients might be related to depression of intra-atrial conduction due to atrial dilatation and increased sympathetic activity. These patients should be closely followed up for risk of life-threatening arrhythmias.
Nisli
Kemal
K
Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. kemalnisli@yahoo.com
Taner
Yavuz
Y
Naci
Oner
O
Zafer
Salcioglu
S
Zeynep
Karakas
K
Aygun
Dindar
D
Umrah
Aydogan
A
Rukiye
Eker
E
Turkan
Ertugrul
E
D000293:Adolescent; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology