Cardiac repolarization abnormalities in multiple sclerosis: Spinal cord MRI correlates

Ventricular repolarization dysfunction has recently been reported in multip le sclerosis (MS), We evaluated ventricular repolarization dysfunction in 5 2 MS patients and looked for a relationship between corrected QT (QTc) abno rmalities (i.e., abnormalities of QT intervals corrected for rate) and spin al cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. QTc intervals were incre ased in MS patients compared with controls (P < 0.01) and were correlated w ith a reduction of spinal cord area (P < 0.01). QTc abnormalities in MS wer e thus associated with axonal loss, reflected by spinal cord atrophy, rathe r than demyelination. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.