Preprint Case Report Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Exercise-Induced Arrhythmia or Munchhausen Syndrome in a Marathon Runner?

Robert Gajda
* ORCID logo ,
Wojciech Drygas
,
Jacek Gajda
,
Pawel Kiper
,
Beat Knechtle
ORCID logo ,
Magdalena Kwaśniewska
ORCID logo ,
Maciej Sterliński
,
Elżbieta Katarzyna Biernacka
Version 1 : Received: 5 July 2023 / Approved: 6 July 2023 / Online: 7 July 2023 (07:41:51 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Gajda, R.; Drygas, W.; Gajda, J.; Kiper, P.; Knechtle, B.; Kwaśniewska, M.; Sterliński, M.; Biernacka, E.K. Exercise-Induced Arrhythmia or Munchausen Syndrome in a Marathon Runner? Diagnostics 2023, 13, 2917. Gajda, R.; Drygas, W.; Gajda, J.; Kiper, P.; Knechtle, B.; Kwaśniewska, M.; Sterliński, M.; Biernacka, E.K. Exercise-Induced Arrhythmia or Munchausen Syndrome in a Marathon Runner? Diagnostics 2023, 13, 2917.

Abstract

A 36-year-old professional marathon runner reported sudden heart palpitations occurring during competitions, with heart rates (HR) of 230 bpm recorded on sports HR monitor (HRM) over 4 years. These episodes subsided upon the cessation of exercise. Electrocardiograms, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging results were borderline for athlete's heart. Because an electrophysiology study and standard exercise tests provoked no arrhythmia, doctors suspected Munchhausen syndrome. Ultimately, an exercise test that simulated the physical effort during a competition provoked tachyarrhythmia consistent with the HRM readings. This case demonstrates the diagnostic difficulties related to exercise-induced arrhythmia and the diagnostic usefulness of sports HRMs.

Keywords

heart rate monitor; endurance running; arrhythmia, tachycardia; artifacts; exertion rhythm disorders; Munchhausen syndrome; athlete's heart

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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