Résumé
Atrioventricular block and hyperthyroidism
Pr F. CHENTLIa, Dr M. HADDADa, Dr K. DAFFEURa, Pr D. MESKINEb
a Faculté de Médecine d'Alger, CHU Bab El Oued, Service d'Endocrinologie et Métabolisme, Alger ; b Faculté de Médecine d'Alger, Hôpital Bologhine, Service d'Endocrinologie et Métabolisme, Alger
Hyperthyroidism is usually responsible for sinus tachycardia, but in very rare cases it leads to serious severe heart complications including severe rhythmic troubles and/or heart insufficiency and/or coronary insufficiency. Association of hyperthyroidism with one or more severe heart complications is called cardiothyreosis. Cardiothyreosis frequency varies from country to country and according to hyperthyroidism’s severity and personal history of heart disease.
Among severe rhythmic troubles the most known are atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and ventricular tachycardia. Complete atrioventricular block (CAVB) is considered as quite exceptional. Our aim was to analyze its frequency within a large group of hyperthyroidisms and cardiothyreoses.
Results: Among 2134 hyperthyroidisms (1680 women and 454 men), we noted 5 AVB= 0.23%. Among 316 cardiothyreoses (246F, 70H) we observed 5 CAVB =1.5 %. Curiously CAVB are observed only in females.
Among female with hyperthyroidism CAVB was observed in 5/1680=0.29%, but it accounts for 5/246 cardiothyreoses=2.O3%.
Conclusion: In this large series of hyperthyroidisms, CAVB is certainly rare, but should be systematically sought, especially in women before treating them with a beta-blocker.