Electrocardiographic findings in 24 patients with myasthenia gravis

Acta Cardiol. 1976;31(4):301-5.

Abstract

Twenty four myasthenia gravis patients, 14 females and 10 males, aged between 5 and 65 years (average 29) were studied electrocardiographically. The abnormalities found in the ECG were: prolonged "Q-T" intervals (10 cases, 44.1%), sinus tachycardias (5 cases, 20.8%), sinus arrhythmias (5 cases, 20.8%), right bundle branch block (4 cases, 16.6%), and non-specific "T" wave changes (2 cases, 8.3%). Among our 24 patients with myasthenia gravis, in contrast to previous reports, only two had non-specific "T" wave abnormalities. But prolonged "Q-T" intervals, right bundle branch block, sinus tachycardias and sinus arrhythmias, when compared to normal population incidence, were found to be quite significant. In pathogenesis, primary myocardial histo-pathological abnormalities, and the role of extracardiac factors in producing the changes were discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / etiology
  • Cardiomegaly / etiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Electrocardiography
  • Female
  • Heart / physiopathology*
  • Heart Block / etiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myasthenia Gravis / complications
  • Myasthenia Gravis / physiopathology*