This was a prospective controlled study to determine the P-wave duration and P-wave dispersion in patients with atrial septal aneurysm.

A total of 41 children with atrial septal aneurysm, including 21 boys and 20 girls (mean age 11.85 ± 3.8 years), and 32 controls, including 17 boys and 15 girls (mean age 12.3 ± 2.9 years), were included. P-wave dispersion was calculated from the 12-lead electrocardiogram. Cardiac functions, morphology of the aneurysm, and left atrial diameter were measured using conventional echocardiography. The diagnosis of atrial septal aneurysm was made when the base of the aneurysms with an excursion ratio ≥25% was found on echocardiography.

There was no significant difference between the patient and control groups in demographic, clinical findings, and M-mode echocardiographic parameters. The P-wave dispersion in patients with atrial septal aneurysm was significantly longer compared with the control group (64.4 ± 13.4 ms; p < 0.0001). Similarly, the the maximum duration of the P wave in the patient group was significantly longer compared with the control group (106.1 ± 13.3 ms; p < 0.001). The P-wave duration and dispersion were not correlated with age, gender, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or m-mode echocardiographic parameters.

This study shows that P-wave dispersion is delayed in atrial septal aneurysm patients. Prolonged P-wave dispersion was determined to indicate electrical disturbance, and therefore it has an increased electrocardiographic risk of atrial arrhythmia in children with atrial septal aneurysm.

Interatrial septal anomalies, which include atrial septal defect, patent foramen ovale, and atrial septal aneurysm, are common disorders among adult patients. Early detection of interatrial septal anomalies is important in order to prevent haemodynamic consequences and/or thromboembolic events. Electrocardiogram offers some clues that should serve as hints for detection of interatrial abnormalities. The aim of our study was to analyse the interatrial septum by transoesophageal echocardiography in patients with electrocardiogram signs of right bundle branch block and in those without right bundle branch block.

In a prospective study, 87 adult patients were included, that is, 41 with electrocardiogram signs of right bundle branch block forming the first group and 46 without right bundle branch block forming the second group. Interatrial septal anomalies were present in 80.5% of the patients with right bundle branch block, with patent foramen ovale (39.02%) being the most prevalent disorder, followed by atrial septal aneurysm (21.9%) and atrial septal defect (19.5%). Interatrial septal abnormalities were significantly more frequent in the first group compared with the second group (80.5% versus 6.5%, p value less than 0.001). Independently, patent foramen ovale was significantly more prevalent in patients with right bundle branch block (39.02% versus 4.3%, p value less than 0.001), as were atrial septal aneurysm (21.9% versus 2.2%, p value equal 0.01) and atrial septal defect (19.5% versus 0%, p value equal 0.004).

Right bundle branch block should serve as a valuable indicator to motivate a detailed search for interatrial septal abnormalities.