[Rheumatoid heart: report of a case with endomyocardial injury and severe arrhythmias (author's transl)].

The Authors describe the case of a 61 year old man suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; the diagnosis of "rheumatoid heart" was made on the basis of the humoral findings and of the clinico-ecgraphic picture of endocardial (mitral incompetence) and myocardial injuries. The different complications impairing the heart rhythm (FA, tachycardia S.V., and episodes of tachycardia V., torsade de pointes type) and the A-V and the I.V. conduction (RBBB phase 3, LBBB phase 4, BAV 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree) which determined the recurrence of episodes of heart block and required adequate intensive cardiological treatment, are described. In conclusion, the significance of the persistance of the L.A.D. in the course of complete LBBB and the discovery of an unusual type of escape-capture bigeminy in the course of 2nd degree BAV is discussed.