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World J Gastroenterol. Feb 28, 2008; 14(8): 1252-1256
Published online Feb 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.1252
P wave dispersion is prolonged in patients with Wilson’s disease
Nurcan Arat, Sabite Kacar, Zehra Golbasi, Meral Akdogan, Yeliz Sokmen, Sedef Kuran, Ramazan Idilman
Nurcan Arat, Zehra Golbasi, Yeliz Sokmen, Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Clinic of Cardiology, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey
Sabite Kacar, Meral Akdogan, Sedef Kuran, Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Clinic of Gastroenterology, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey
Ramazan Idilman, Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Gastroenterology, Cebeci Campus 06590, Ankara, Turkey
Author contributions: Arat N, Kacar S, Golbasi Z designed research; Arat N, Kuran S, Akdogan M, Idilman R performed research; Arat N, Sokmen Y analyzed data; Arat N and Kacar S wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Nurcan Arat, Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Clinic of Cardiology, Sihhiye 06100, Ankara, Turkey. aratnurcan@gmail.com
Telephone: +90-505-502 5077
Fax: +90-312-362 4502
Received: October 1, 2007
Revised: December 11, 2007
Published online: February 28, 2008
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the P wave dispersion as a non-invasive marker of intra-atrial conduction disturbances in patients with Wilson’s disease.

METHODS: We compared Wilson’s disease patients (n = 18) with age matched healthy subjects (n = 15) as controls. The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms, laboratory tests (ceruloplasmin, urinary and hepatic copper concentrations). P wave dispersion, a measurement of the heterogeneity of atrial depolarization, was measured as the difference between the duration of the longest and the shortest P-waves in 12 lead electrocardiography.

RESULTS: All the patients were asymptomatic on cardiological examination and have sinusal rhythm in electrocardiography. Left ventricular and left atrial diameters, left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular mass index were similar in both groups. The Wilson’s disease patients had a significantly higher P wave dispersion compared with the controls (44.7 ± 5.8 vs 25.7 ± 2.5, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: There was an increase in P wave dispersion in cardiologically asymptomatic Wilson’s disease patients which probably represents an early stage of cardiac involvement.

Keywords: Wilson’s disease; Electrocardiography; P wave duration; P wave dispersion; Atrial depolarization