Congenital Familial Nodal Rhythm

Abstract

An unusual family group covering 3 generations is presented, all of whose members manifest a characteristic arrhythmia that appears to be an inherited trait. Each of the 9 known descendants exhibits a nodal bradycardia and each of the 4 descendants who have entered the fourth decade of life have also experienced paroxysms of atrial fibrillation. These paroxysms almost invariably terminate with the re-establishment of nodal rhythm. By history, the majority of these individuals are asymptomatic, and detailed examination of 2 adult members has failed to uncover evidence of specific cardiac disease. The problem of familial arrhythmia is briefly reviewed.