The Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome

Deafness and electrocardiographic changes (prolongation of the Q-T interval and inversion of the T wave) with a clinical picture of syncopal attacks and sudden death, were described as a distinct syndrome by Jervell and Lange-Nielsen in 1957. The syndrome is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. In this study, all the cases reported since 1957 and their proposed prevalence are reviewed. The authors describe the 4 cases they have studied, all of which presented congenital sensorineural hearing loss and electrocardiographic changes characteristic of the syndrome. The relatively high number of cases they have encountered casts doubt on literature that states that the syndrome occurs more frequently in Northern-European populations. Consequently, it is advisable to perform an electrocardiogram in all children affected by congenital deafness.