Hereditary Long QT Syndrome Associated with Cardiac Conduction System Disease
Corresponding Author
ARNOLD J. GREENSPON
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Address for reprints: Arnold J. Greenspon M.D., Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, Rm 5294, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Search for more papers by this authorGREGORY A. KIDWELL
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorLINDA D. BARRASSE
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorSCOTT E. HESSEN
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorMICHAEL GIUDICI
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
ARNOLD J. GREENSPON
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Address for reprints: Arnold J. Greenspon M.D., Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, Rm 5294, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.Search for more papers by this authorGREGORY A. KIDWELL
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorLINDA D. BARRASSE
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorSCOTT E. HESSEN
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorMICHAEL GIUDICI
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This report describes the cardiac conduction abnormalities, detected by invasive electrophysiological study, in two identical siblings with symptomatic congenital long QT syndrome. Both patients had evidence of intra-Hisian conduction delay in response to programmed atrial stimulation and pacing induced infranodal block was seen in one of the two patients. The response of the observed conduction delay to autonomic interventions is described. The observed electrophysiologic abnormalities are consistent with previously reported pathological findings and document the association of functional conduction system disease with congenital QT prolongation.
References
- 1 Jervell A, Lange-Nielsen F. Congenital deaf-mutism, functional heart disease with prolongation of the QT interval, and sudden death. Am Heart J 1957; 54: 59–68.
- 2 Romano C, Gemme G, Pongiglione R. Aritmic cardiache rare dell'eta pediatrica: II Accessi sincopali per fibrillazione ventricolare parosistica. Clin Pediatr 1963; 45: 656–83.
- 3 Ward OC. New familial cardiac syndrome in children. J Irish Med Assoc 1964; 54: 103–6.
- 4 Schwartz PJ. Idiopathic long QT syndrome: Progress and questions. Am Heart J 1985; 109: 399–411.
- 5 Jackman WM, Clark M, Friday KJ, et al. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias in the long QT syndromes. Med Clin N Amer 1984; 68: 1079–1109.
- 6 Schwartz PJ. The idiopathic long QT syndrome. Ann Intern Med 1983; 99: 561–2.
- 7 Schwartz PJ, Malliani A. Electrical alternation of the T wave: Clinical and experimental evidence of its relationship with the sympathetic nervous system and the long QT syndrome. Am Heart J 1975; 89: 45–50.
- 8 Bharati S, Dreifus L, Bucheleres G, et al. The conduction system in patients with a prolonged QT interval, J Am Coll Cardiol 1985; 6: 1110–9.
- 9 Mathews EC Jr, Blount AW Jr, Townsend JI. QT prolongation and ventricular arrhythmias, with and without deafness in the same family. Am J Cardiol 1972; 29: 702–11.
- 10 Phillips J, Ichinose H. Clinical and pathological studies in the hereditary syndrome of long QT interval, syncopal attacks and sudden death. Chest 1976; 58: 236–43.
- 11 James TN, Frogatt P, Atkinson WJ Jr, et al. De Subitanesis mortlbus. Observations on the pathophysiology of the long QT syndromes with special reference to the neuropathology of the heart. Circulation 1978; 57: 1221–31.
- 12 Greenspon AJ, Volosin KJ, Greenberg RM, et al. Amiodarone therapy: Role of early and late electrophysiologic studies. J Am Coll Cardiol 1988; 11: 117–23.
- 13 Wellens HJJ, Farre J, Brugada P, et al. The method of programmed stimulation in the study of ventricular tachycardia. In ME Josephson, editor: Ventricular Tachycardia-mechanisms and management. Mt Kisco , New York , Futura Publishing Co., Inc., 1982, p. 275.
- 14 Bhandari AK, Shapiro WA, Morady F, et al. Electrophysiologic testing in patients with the long QT syndrome. Circulation 1985; 71: 63–71.
- 15 Pellegrino A, Yen S, Anderson RH, et al. Prolonged QT interval and the cardiac conduction tissues. Am J Cardiol 1986; 58: 1112–14.
- 16 Brugada P, Wellens HJJ. Early afterdepolarizations: Role in conduction block, “prolonged repolarization-dependent reexcitation,” and tachyarrhythmias in the human heart, PACE 1985; 8: 889–896.
- 17 Cranefield PF, Aronson RS. Torsade de pointes and other pause-induced ventricular tachycardias: The long-short sequence and early afterdepolarizations. PACE 1988; 11: 670–678.
- 18 Fraser GR, Frogatt P, Lames TN. Congenital deafness associated with electrocardiographic abnormalities, fainting attacks, and sudden death. Quart J Med 1964; 33: 361–85.
- 19 Moothart RW, Pryor R, Hawley RL, et al. The heritable syndrome of prolonged QT interval, syncope, and sudden death. Chest 1976; 70: 263–6.