Ahmed Najeeb, Riaz Kamran, Rai Ripudeep, Osman Mohammed, Wase Abdul
Department of Internal Medicine, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Section of Electrophysiology, Good Samaritan Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, USA.
Rev Cardiovasc Med. 2006 Summer;7(3):160-5.
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) can be asymptomatic-identifiable as an incidental finding on electrocardiogram-or it can present with palpitation, syncope, seizures, or sudden cardiac death. LQTS is characterized by a prolonged QT interval, which can be associated with a specific form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia known as torsade de pointes. Other electrocardiogram changes in LQTS include T-wave abnormalities, particularly bifid T waves, U waves, and T-wave alternans. The precipitating factors of LQTS include electrolyte abnormalities, bradyarrhythmias, medications (such as antiarrhythmic drugs, antibiotics, antipsychotics, and antihistamines), and myocardial ischemia. The authors report a case of LQTS in a 47-year-old woman with no other significant cardiac history.
