Relationship between left ventricular mass and QRS duration in diverse types of left ventricular hypertrophy: A novel diagnosis clue

Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) may be associated with very narrow QRS while left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) may increase QRS duration. Aim To determine the correlations between left myocardial mass (LVM) and QRS duration in HCM, left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC), post-hypertensive hypertrophy (LVH) and a control population. Methods HCM, LVNC, LVH and controls with healthy hearts from Toulouse and Bordeaux University Hospitals were retrospectively studied. Indexed automatic measurement of left ventricular mass (LVM) on MRI was correlated to automatic measurement of QRS duration on surface ECG. Potential confounding factors that can modify intraventricular conduction were listed and included in analysis. Results Two hundred and twenty-one HCM, 28 LVNC, 16 LVH and 40 controls were retrospectively included. Mean QRS duration was 92 ms for HCM, 104 for LVNC, 110 for LVH and 92 for controls (P  Conclusion QRS duration significantly and independently increases with LVM in LVNC, LVH or in healthy hearts while reverse relationship is present in HCM. These results could be used as additional diagnosis criteria for borderline cases in the future.