Abstract
A variety of diseases, other than the common Lev–Lenègre disease, are associated with
cardiac conduction system abnormalities. These include acute processes, such as acute
rheumatic fever, and other disorders, such as sarcoidosis, connective tissue disorders,
neoplasms, and bacterial endocarditis with cardiac abscess formation. The purpose
of the study is to raise awareness of these rare conditions. We present 10 adult patients
(4 males and 6 females) with a mean age of 47 years (range: 19–69), with various rare
diseases associated with heart block, who needed temporary or permanent pacemaker
therapy in the past two decades. These conditions included acute rheumatic carditis,
Wegener granulomatosis, cardiac involvement of metastatic breast cancer, bacterial
endocarditis, sarcoidosis, S/P chest radiotherapy, and quadriplegia with syringomyelia
postspinal cord injury, and adult congenital heart block. We conclude that patients
with these disorders should be followed periodically, to allow for early detection
and treatment of cardiac conduction disturbances, with pacemaker therapy.
Keywords
heart block - association - uncommon - adults - pacemaker - prevention - follow-up
