1.
Acta Physiol (Oxf)
; 213(2): 303-20, 2015 Feb.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25363044
ABSTRACT
Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias increases gradually with age; however, specific rhythm disturbances can appear even prior to birth and markedly affect foetal development. Relatively little is known about these disorders, chiefly because of their relative rarity and difficulty in diagnosis. In this review, we cover the most common forms found in human pathology, specifically congenital heart block, pre-excitation, extrasystoles and long QT syndrome. In addition, we cover pertinent literature data from prenatal animal models, providing a glimpse into pathogenesis of arrhythmias and possible strategies for treatment.