Cardiac damage from chronic use of chloroquine: a case report and review of the literature

Chloroquine has been widely used in rheumatological treatment, but potential severe side effects require careful follow-up. Cardiac damage is not a common consequence, but its clinical relevance has not yet been described. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis, in whom chronic chloroquine use resulted in major irreversible cardiac damage. She presented with syncopal episodes due to complete atrioventricular block confirmed by electrophysiological study whose changes were concluded to be irreversible and a permanent pacemaker was indicated. Endomyocardial biopsy was also performed to search for histopathological and ultrastructural cardiac damage. We also reviewed the 22 cases of chloroquine-induced cardiopathy described to date as well as its pathophysiology

Biventricular pacing improves clinical behavior and reduces prevalence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with heart failure

PURPOSE: To analyze the influence of biventricular pacing (BP) on clinical behavior, ventricular arrhythmia (VA) prevalence, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF) by gated ventriculography. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and NYHA class III and IV underwent pacemaker implantation and were randomized either to the conventional or BP group, all receiving BP after 6 months. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were in NYHA class IV (66.6 per cent) and 8 were in class III (33.4 per cent). After 1-year follow-up, 14 patients were in class II (70 per cent) and 5 were in class III (25 per cent). Two sudden cardiac deaths occurred. A significant reduction in QRS length was found with BP (p=0.006). A significant statistical increase, from a mean of 19.13 ñ 5.19 per cent (at baseline) to 25.33 ñ 5.90 per cent (with BP) was observed in LVEF Premature ventricular contraction prevalence decreased from a mean of 10,670.00 ñ 12,595.39 SD or to a mean of 3,007.00 ñ 3,216.63 SD PVC/24 h with BP (p<0.05). Regarding the hospital admission rate over 1 year, we observed a significant reduction from 60. To 16 admissions with BP (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with LBBB and severe heart failure experienced, with BP, a significant NYHA class and LVEF improvement. A reduction in the hospital admission rate and VA prevalence also occurred.

Marcapasso atrioventricular. Incidência e causas de reprogramações em seguimento a longo prazo / Atrioventricular pacemaker. Incidence and causes of reprogramming in long-term follow-up

OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of problems requiring reprogramming of atrioventricular pacemakers in a long-term follow-up, and also the causes for this procedure. METHODS: During the period from May '98 to December '99, 657 patients were retrospectively studied, An actuarial curve for the event reprogramming of the stimulation mode was drawn. RESULTS: The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 178 months (mean = 81 months). Eighty-two (12.4 percent) patients underwent reprogramming of the stimulation mode as follows: 63 (9.5 percent) changed to VVI,(R/C); 10 (1.5 percent) changed to DVI,C; 6 (0.9 percent) changed to VDD,C; and 3 (0.5 percent) changed to DOO. The causes for the reprogramming were as follows: arrhythmia conducted by the pacemaker in 39 (37.6 percent) patients; loss of atrial sensitivity or capture, or both, in 39 (38.6 percent) patients; and microfracture of atrial electrode in 5 (4.9 percent) patients. The stimulation mode reprogramming free probability after 15 years was 58 percent. CONCLUSION: In a long-term follow-up, the atrioventricular pacemaker provided a low incidence of complications, a high probability of permanence in the DDD,C mode, and the most common cause of reprogramming was arrhythmia conducted by the pacemaker

Bloqueios divisionais do ramo direito e áreas eletricamente inativas: diagnóstico diferencial eletro-vetocardiográico / Divisional block of the right bundle-branch and electrically inactive areas. Electrovectorcardiographic differential diagnosis

Estudam-se 100 pacientes assintomáticos (idade entre 13 e 56 anos), 82 homens, com características veto-eletrocardiográficos semelhantes, atraso final de conduçäo (AFC), na tentativa de caracterizar padröes no ECG e no VCG para o reconhecimento dos bloqueios divisionais do ramo direito. No bloqueio da divisäo superior do ramo direito (BDSRD), observa-se no ECG: 1) eixo de QRS orientado entre 30.- e 90.- ou indeterminado; 2) duraçäo de QRS normal; 3) onda S de D2 maior ou igual a onda S de D3; 4) onda R empastada em aVR; 5) ondas S presentes nas derivaçöes V5 e V6. No vetocardiograma, nota-se: 1) alça de QRS no plano frontal com orientaçäo inicial esquerda, para cima ou para baixo, rotaçäo anti-horária e morfologia afilada; 2) alça de QRS com rápida mudança de rotaçäo no momento 40 ms tanto no plano frontal quanto no horizontal, orientado para a direita; 3) AFC nos planos (horizontal, frontal e sagital) com 30 ms de duraçäo (12 cometas), orientado no PF entre 210.- e 260.-. Para bloqueio divisional inferior ou médio do ramo direito (BDIRD ou BDMRD) observou-se no ECG: 1) eixo de QRS orientado entre + 60.- - 150.-; 2) duraçäo do complexo QRS normal; 3) onda R em aVR empastada; 4) onda R nas derivaçöes D2 e D3 com baixa voltagem (näo maior que 10mm) e com entalhes na porçäo descendente; 5) ondas S presentes nas derivaçöes V5 e V6. No vetocardiograma, registra-se: 1) a alça de QRS, no PF, com orientaçäo inicial para esquerda, para baixo ou para cima e rotaçäo horária. 2) alça de QRS com rápida mudança de rotaçäo no 40.-, tanto no PF quanto no PH (da esquerda para direita) 3) AFC nos planos com duraçäo de 30 ms (12 cometas), orientado no PF, para o BDIRD, entre 120.- e 150.- para o BDMRD, entre 180.- e 200.-