[Evaluation of 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording in patients with mitral valve prolapse]

Among 1150 ambulatory 24-hour ecg recordings, those taken from 67 persons no more than 40 years old, suffering from paroxysmal unconsciousness or maladies suggesting paroxysmal arrhythmias, without clinical signs of ischaemic heart disease, valve defects, cardiomyopathies or myocarditis, were chosen for further analysis. Echocardiographic signs of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) were found in 33 persons (23 females), whereas in the next 34 persons (20 females) no evidence of MVP was noted. There were no statistical differences between ages, mean heart rates and incidences of the ST segment depression greater than or equal to 2 mm in these two groups. Prolongation of the QT interval greater than 440 ms was found in 8 persons with MVP and in 3 without MVP. Appearance of the single ventricular extrasystoles, sporadic or frequent, was almost identical in both groups. Whereas polymorphic extrasystoles and/or ventricular couplets were significantly more frequent in the MVP group. Our study shows that MVP is present in about a half of persons no more than 40 years old referring to Holter ecg because of symptoms suggesting arrhythmias, without other signs of heart disease; and that complex ventricular arrhythmias in these patients with MVP are significantly more frequent than in persons with similar complaints without MVP.