TY - JOUR
T1 - Cardiac biopsy in patients with 'primary' atrial fibrillation; Histologic evidence of occult myocardial diseases
AU - Frustaci, A.
AU - Caldarulo, M.
AU - Buffon, A.
AU - Bellocci, F.
AU - Fenici, R.
AU - Melina, D.
PY - 1991
Y1 - 1991
N2 - Fourteen patients (ten men and four women; mean age, 37 years) with lone atrial fibrillation (AF) (1 to 18 months' duration) were evaluated by thyroid function tests, two-dimensional echocardiography, hemodynamics, coronary angiography, and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, because of unresponsiveness to the usual antiarrhythmic therapy. The results of the T3, T4, TSH, and TRH tests were normal in all patients; cardiac valves and ventricular and atrial sizes (left atrium 0.50). Histologic findings were abnormal in all cases, with three patients showing cardiomyopathic changes, three other patients showing active myocarditis (lymphocytic in two and eosinophilic in one), and eight patients with nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis or both. Steroids (prednisone; 50 mg/m2 of body surface area daily) used in addition to antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with eosinophilic and lymphocytic active myocarditis were able to cause reversion to sinus rhythm, while the other patients continued to have AF. This study documents that occult myocardial diseases (myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, and nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis) can underlie 'primary' AF. The addition of steroids to antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with refractory AF and histologic evidence of active myocarditis seems to be useful in controlling the arrhythmia.
AB - Fourteen patients (ten men and four women; mean age, 37 years) with lone atrial fibrillation (AF) (1 to 18 months' duration) were evaluated by thyroid function tests, two-dimensional echocardiography, hemodynamics, coronary angiography, and left ventricular endomyocardial biopsy, because of unresponsiveness to the usual antiarrhythmic therapy. The results of the T3, T4, TSH, and TRH tests were normal in all patients; cardiac valves and ventricular and atrial sizes (left atrium 0.50). Histologic findings were abnormal in all cases, with three patients showing cardiomyopathic changes, three other patients showing active myocarditis (lymphocytic in two and eosinophilic in one), and eight patients with nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis or both. Steroids (prednisone; 50 mg/m2 of body surface area daily) used in addition to antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with eosinophilic and lymphocytic active myocarditis were able to cause reversion to sinus rhythm, while the other patients continued to have AF. This study documents that occult myocardial diseases (myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, and nonspecific necrosis or fibrosis) can underlie 'primary' AF. The addition of steroids to antiarrhythmic therapy in patients with refractory AF and histologic evidence of active myocarditis seems to be useful in controlling the arrhythmia.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 1864099
AN - SCOPUS:0026355488
VL - 100
SP - 303
EP - 306
JO - Chest
JF - Chest
SN - 0012-3692
IS - 2
ER -