Near-fatal Kearns-Sayre syndrome. A case report and review of clinical manifestations.

The Kearns-Sayre syndrome is a relatively uncommon condition which occurs in childhood and is characterized by neurologic dysfunction and abnormalities in atrioventricular (AV) conduction. The high mortality rate is directly attributable to the cardiovascular manifestations of this syndrome. We report a case, with documentation of a "near-fatal" episode, and review the pertinent clinical features of the syndrome.