Vol.23 No.6

Original Article

P-wave duration and dispersion in children with uncomplicated familial Mediterranean fever

Authors

Derya Arslan 1 , Bulent Oran1 , Fatma Yaz?l?tas2 , Harun Peru2 , Derya Cimen 1 , Husamettin Vatansev3

  • Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, 42080 Konya, Turkey
  • Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
  • Department of Biochemistry, Selcuk University Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
Received:

27 June 2012

Accepted:

5 December 2012

Published online:

29 December 2012

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Abstract

Objectives This was a prospective controlled study to determine the P-wave duration (Pdu) and P-wave dispersion (Pd) in patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).
Methods The study group consisted of 26 children with uncomplicated FMF and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We performed electrocardiography (ECG) with Doppler echocardiography on patients and controls. All participants underwent 12-lead electrocardiography under strict standards. Pdu and Pd were computed from a randomly selected beat and from an averaged beat constructed from 12 beats, included in a 10-s ECG.
Results The left ventricle (LV) dimensions, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), and LV fractional shortening (LVFS) values, left atrium dimension, and aortic dimension were in normal range in both groups. There were significant differences between the groups regarding LV-isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), LV-isovolumic contraction time (ICT), right ventricle (RV)-ICT, RV-IRT, and Pd (all p%ABST%.0001). However, highly significant positive correlation was detected between LV-ICT, LV-IRT, RV-ICT, RV-IVT, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Pd (r = 0.505, p%ABST%.0001; r = 0.483, p%ABST%.0001; r = 0.433, p = 0.001; r = 0.421, p = 0.001; r = 0.452, p = 0.001; r = 0.478, p%ABST%.0001, respectively).
Conclusions Uncomplicated FMF children who are continuously treated with colchicine and do not develop amyloidosis have abnormal atrial dispersion and therefore seemingly have an increased electrocardiographic risk of atrial fibrillation.

Key words

Atrial fibrillation, Doppler echocardiography, Familial Mediterranean fever, P-wave dispersion