STUDY OF LEFT AND RIGHT-VENTRICULAR FUNCTION IN ROMANO-WARD SYNDROME

Objective-To examine left and right ventricular contraction in Romano- Ward syndrome: does abnormal myocardium affect the predisposition to a rrhythmia? Design-Tomographic radionuclide ventriculography was perfor med after the red blood cells were labelled conventionally with stanno us pyrophosphate and technetium-99m. Setting-Department of Nuclear Med icine, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Patients-Eight subjects from two fami lies known to have Romano-Ward syndrome, four of whom (two from each f amily) had had symptoms. Results-The five subjects from family 1 had n ormal left ventricular contraction; two had subtle abnormalities of ri ght ventricular phase. In family 2 all three subjects had abnormal lef t ventricular contraction (reduced amplitude in three, abnormal phase in two). All had subtle abnormalities of right ventricular phase. Conc lusion-Abnormal right or left ventricular myocardium may be partly or wholly responsible for the repolarisation changes seen on the electroc ardiogram of these families or may act as an ectopic focus to start ve ntricular tachycardias in a susceptible heart.