A 17-year Follow-up Study of a Family with Idiopathic Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and WPW Syndrome

Abstract

Long term clinical courses of a patient and her family with idiopathic cardiomyopathy and WPW [Wolff-Parkinson-White] syndrome were described. The mother and her brother (the 1st generation) died of heart disease, and another sibling suddenly died of heart disease when the study began. Of the 8 2nd generation siblings 7, were followed for 17 yr from 1958-1976. Four siblings had both typical or atypical WPW syndrome and cardiomegaly in 1958 two died suddenly and unexpectely, 1 died of congestive heart failure and 1 survived the period. Another was normal in 1958 but developed cardiomegaly and atypical WPW syndrome in 1976, and the remaining 2 were normal in 1958 and 1976. Two 3rd generation children were followed simultaneously for 15 yr, and both had WPW syndrome without cardiomegaly. A late onset of the disease could occur in a family with young onset, and the clinical course might become different by sudden cardiac death which occurred only in the members with abnormal findings. WPW syndrome and cardiomegaly could be inherited or occur together in the same generation but separately in the different generation.