help button home button Am J Pathol R & D Systems
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Order Full text via Infotrieve
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Fenoglio, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Irey, N. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fenoglio, J. J., Jr
Right arrow Articles by Irey, N. S.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 89, 51-58, Copyright © 1977 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REVIEWS

Myocardial changes in malignant hyperthermia

JJ Fenoglio Jr and NS Irey

Although consideral information is available concerning the structural and biochemical changes in the skeletal muscles of patients with malignant hyperthermia, little is known of the cardiac changes in this disease. However, ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest are frequent in these patients. In 3 patients with malignant hyperthermia, contraction bands and foci of myofiberlysis were found in the heart at necropsy. Ultrastructurally, areas of myofiber overstretching adjacent to contraction bands and foci of extensive myofiberlysis were associated with disruptions of the sarcolemma. Similar ultrastructural findings have been reported in the skeletal muscles of these patients and are thought responsible for the hyperkalemia which is a constant feature of malignant hyperthermia. Our findings suggest that the ventricular arrhythmias, frequent in this disease, are the result of direct damage to cardiac muscle rather then secondary to elevated plasma levels of potassium.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1977 by the American Society for Investigative Pathology.