[Atrial fibrillation in alcoholic lesion of the heart].

Sixty chronic alcoholic patients, aged 35.6 +/- 0.7 years and an average alcoholic history of 9.3 +/- 0.5 years were examined. Atrial fibrillation was detected at 24 h ECG monitoring in 2 (3.45%) patients, and paroxysms of atrial fibrillation or flutter were detected by intracardiac electrophysiologic investigation in 6 (22.2%). Fourteen (44.8%) patients with alcoholic heart damage demonstrated atrial vulnerability, indicative of a predisposition to atrial fibrillation even at earlier stages of alcoholic heart damage.