[Arrhythmias in patients with mitral valve prolapse syndrome. An echo- and electrocardiographic study - (author's...

The echocardiograms and electrocardiograms of 76 patients with mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVP) were examined and compared with those of 20 normal subjects. 30 patients had a late systolic, 32 a holosystolic MVP, 14 patients had a mixed motion pattern of the MVP. Eighty percent of them had arrhythmias, which were detected in 44% only by 24-hours ECG, in 32% by 24-hours ECG and exercise ECG and in 4% only by exercise ECG. 16% of the patients had only atrial premature contractions (APC), 22% only ventricular premature contractions (VPC), 39% had both ventricular and atrial premature contractions. Multifocal VPC'S WERE MORE COMMON IN PATIENTS WITH LATE SYSTOLIC MVP, salvos of VPC however were detected in 3 patients with holosystolic and in one patient with late systolic MVP. Only less severe arrhythmias, in general isolated, univorm VPCs were found in 40% of the normal subjects.