QT Duration and Dispersion in Patients with Anomalous Origins of Coronary Arteries

Abstract

Coronary artery anomalies have been reported to show various symptoms ranging from chest pain and dyspnea to cardio-respiratory arrest and sudden death. In this study, we attempted to assess the changes in QT interval duration and dispersion in anomalous origins of coronary arteries (AOCA). Nineteen AOCA patients (mean age: 52 +/- 11 years) and 30 healthy control subjects (mean age: 50 +/- 12 years) were included in the study. Minimum and maximum corrected QT intervals, and corrected QT dispersion were calculated. The two groups were compared in terms of QT dispersion and QT duration. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of baseline demographic characteristics. Maximum corrected QT intervals (QTc max), minimum corrected QT intervals (QTc min), and corrected QT dispersion were higher in AOCA patients than controls (452 +/- 38 vs 411 +/- 25 ms [P = 0.0001], 402 +/- 31 vs 383 +/- 28 ms [P = 0.048], and 51 +/- 30 vs 28 +/- 12 ms [P = 0.001], respectively). In the patients with anomalous origins of coronary arteries, QT dispersion that is an indicator of sudden cardiac death and arrhythmias frequency increased. QTc max, QTc min, and corrected QT dispersion are higher in patients with anomalous origin of the coronary artery than in control subjects.