[Late potentials in patients with prolapse of the mitral valve]

Recently published reports have highlighted the presence of a high incidence of late potentials in patients with mitral valve prolapse. In order to verify this observation 29 patients suffering from this pathology were studied using high-resolution electrocardiography. Late potentials were present in 24% of patients with mitral valve prolapse in comparison to 5% of control subjects (p less than 0.05); no correlation was found however in patients with mitral valve prolapse between the presence of late potentials and Holter's ventricular hyperkinetic tachycardia. At a follow-up after 16 +/- 4 months no patient presented persistent ventricular tachycardia or sudden death. The presence of late potentials might be yet symptom of the mitral prolapse syndrome whose prognostic role, although not yet clear, does not appear to represent a negative factor in relation to major tachycardia attacks.