Cardiac evaluation of liver transplant recipients: QT dispersion in electrocardiogram

Increased QT dispersion, the interlead variability of the QT interval length in the 12-lead electrocardiogram, reflects uneven ventricular repolarization as a sign of cardiomyopathy. We analyzed QT dispersion in the preoperative electrocardiogram of 100 adult liver transplant recipients and 20 healthy control subjects. In 12% of the liver recipients, QT dispersion was increased above 65 ms (mean + 3SD). Six of these patients had a liver storage disease (haemochromatosis, Wilson's disease or amyloidosis). Five had a history of cardiac disease. Severe intraoperative cardiac complications occurred in three patients with markedly increased QT dispersion (> or = 99 ms). In conclusion, in liver storage diseases the heart may be affected, leading to increased risk of cardiac complications, which might be predicted from increased QT dispersion. Analysis of QT dispersion, a noninvasive inexpensive technique, can be recommended to be included in the cardiac screening of liver transplant candidates.