Association between the atrial septal aneurysm and frequent premature ventricular complexes

Abstract

Aim: Atrial septal aneurysm (ASA) is a rare congenital malformation consisting of excess atrial septal tissue protruding into the right or left atrium and has been described as an association between cardiac arrhythmias. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), which are common in the general and patient population, are irregular heartbeats that indicate potential heart diseases. Frequent PVCs can often cause a reversible form of cardiomyopathy. Our study aimed to compare the incidence of frequent PVC with healthy volunteers after 24-hour rhythm Holter monitoring in patients diagnosed with ASA by transthoracic echocardiography (TEE).Material and Methods: Fifty-eight patients between the ages of 18-65 who applied to our clinic and were diagnosed with ASA in TTE were included in the study. The control group was composed of 58 non-ASA volunteer participants. All participants underwent a complete physical examination and 12-lead surface electrocardiography was performed. All participants, whose clinical indications were met, underwent 24-hour rhythm Holter monitoring. The presence of PVC in more than 5% of all heartbeats in 24 hours in Holter recordings was defined as frequent PVC.Results: The mean age in the study group was (50.68 +/- 11.55) years. Age, gender, and clinical findings were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference between parameters in echocardiographic evaluation. In 24-hour rhythm Holter monitoring, the number of those who met the definition of frequent PVC was higher in the ASA group compared to the non-ASA group (n=17 (29.3%) vs. n=7, (12.1%), p<0.001).Discussion: Our study showed that frequent PVCs were significantly higher in 24-hour ambulatory ECG monitoring in ASA patients compared to the control group. We think that patients with ASA detected on TTE should be examined in terms of arrhythmia and should be aware of the risk of PVC-related cardiomyopathy.