Progressive Muscular Dystrophy

This paper describes the case of a young man with progressive muscular dystrophy who had supraventricular arrhythmias and intractable congestive failure. Hemodynamic studies and left cineventriculographic findings were compatible with a diagnosis of severe left ventricular failure.Coronary cinearteriography showed an abrupt ending of the artery to the sino-atrial node. At necropsy, a noninflammatory degeneration was found in this particular vessel. The pathogenesis of the cardiac arrhythmias seen in this condition is discussed in the light of these cineangiographic and histopathologic observations.