P-wave dispersion: an indicator of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in children with neurocardiogenic syncope.

Neurocardiogenic syncope is the most frequent cause of fainting in childhood and adolescence. Although head-up tilt table testing (HUTT) was previously considered as the reference standard in the diagnosis of syncope, in children with a typical history of reflex syncope, normal physical examination, and electrocardiogram (ECG) are sufficient to cease investigation; however, according to recent reports, TT is indicated in patients in whom this diagnosis cannot be proven by initial evaluation. The hypothesis of this study is that P-wave dispersion (PWD) can be a useful electrocardiographic predictor of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in children with vasovagal syncope (VVS). The study was designed prospectively and included 50 children with positive and 50 children with negative HUTT who presented with at least two previous unexplained episodes of syncope as well as 50 sex- and age-matched healthy children as the control group. All standard 12-lead ECGs were obtained in patients and controls, and the difference between maximum and minimum durations of the P wave was defined as the PWD. A total of 100 children with VVS and 50 healthy controls were evaluated for the study. The P maximum values of HUTT-positive (HUTT[+]) patients were significantly greater than those in the HUTT-negative (HUTT[-]) and control groups(p < 0.05). In addition, mean PWD values were 50.2 ± 18.5, 39.6 ± 11.2 and 32.0 ± 11.2 ms in the HUTT(+), HUTT(-), and control groups, respectively. The difference between groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). We suggest that PWD is an early sign of cardiac autonomic dysfunction in children with neurally mediated syncope and can be used as a noninvasive electrocardiographic test to evaluate orthostatic intolerance syndromes.