Artefact mimicking tachycardia during magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with an implantable loop recorder

• Published in: Heart (British Cardiac Society) Vol. 89; no. 3; p. e10
• Main Authors: Gimbel, J R, Wilkoff, B L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Cardiovascular Society 01.03.2003; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; Copyright 2003 by Heart
• Subjects: Cardiac arrhythmia; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Electrodes, Implanted; electromagnetic interference; Electronic Pages; Humans; ILR; implantable loop recorder; loop recorder; Magnetic Resonance Angiography - methods; magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Middle Aged; MRI; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Pacemaker, Artificial; Recurrence; Syncope - etiology; Tachycardia - diagnosis
• ISSN: 1355-6037; 1468-201X
• DOI: 10.1136/heart.89.3.e10

An implantable loop recorder (ILR) was implanted in a 45 year old man with recurrent syncope. A subsequent episode of injurious syncope led to performance of a cranial and shoulder magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An artefact mimicking both wide and narrow complex tachycardias was recorded by the ILR during the shoulder MRI but not the cranial MRI. Caution should be used when interpreting the ECGs of ILRs in patients who have undergone MRI.