Absolute Small Voltage

Report:

Sinus rhythm

Absolute small voltage

Poor R wave progression

Nonspecific ST/T changes

Comment:

The QRS amplitude is less than 0.5 mV (5 mm) in all the frontal plane leads and less than 1.0 mV in all the chest leads.

The patient had been off steroids for 6 months and the recurrent DLE presented with pleural and pericardial effusions and ascites. The following day, 300 cc were drained from the pericardium because of early tamponade on her echocardiogram.

Below is another example (Fig 141a), from a 66 year old lady with malignant pericardial deposits and a small (60 cc) effusion. She had cachexia and PUO for 6 weeks and, judging from her heart rate 150/min, is much sicker. She did not have anasarca like the previous case.

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