Brugada syndrome

• Published in: Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 159 - 167
• Main Authors: Jellins, Jessica, Milanovic, Mitchell, Taitz, David-Joel, Wan, S H, Yam, P W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Hong Kong Academy of Medicine 01.04.2013
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Brugada Syndrome - diagnosis; Brugada Syndrome - genetics; Brugada Syndrome - mortality; Brugada Syndrome - therapy; Death, Sudden, Cardiac - epidemiology; Defibrillators, Implantable; Electrocardiography - methods; Female; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - epidemiology; Hong Kong; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Factors; Sodium Channel Blockers; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult; Hong Kong; Brugada syndrome; Channelopathies; Death, sudden, cardiac
• ISSN: 1024-2708; 2226-8707

As a clinical entity the Brugada syndrome has existed since 1992 and has been associated with a high risk of sudden cardiac death predominately in younger males. Patients can present with symptoms (ie syncope, palpitations, aborted sudden cardiac death) and asymptomatically. Its three characteristic electrocardiographic patterns can occur both spontaneously or after provocation with sodium channel-blocking agents. Risk stratification and the need for treatment depend on the patient's symptoms, electrocardiography, family history, and electrophysiological inducibility to discern if treatment by implantable cardioverter defibrillator, the only effective treatment to date, is appropriate. This review focuses on Brugada syndrome and various aspects of the disease including proposed mechanisms, epidemiology, clinical presentations, genetics, diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment options.