The Diagnostic Yield of Brugada Syndrome After Sudden Death With Normal Autopsy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Familial evaluation after a sudden death with negative autopsy (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome; SADS) may identify relatives at risk of fatal arrhythmias.

OBJECTIVES:

This study aimed to assess the impact of systematic ajmaline provocation testing using high right precordial leads (RPLs) on the diagnostic yield of Brugada syndrome (BrS) in a large cohort of SADS families.

METHODS:

Three hundred three SADS families (911 relatives) underwent evaluation with resting electrocardiogram using conventional and high RPLs, echocardiography, exercise, and 24-h electrocardiogram monitor. An ajmaline test with conventional and high RPLs was undertaken in 670 (74%) relatives without a familial diagnosis after initial evaluation. Further investigations were guided by clinical suspicion.

RESULTS:

An inherited cardiac disease was diagnosed in 128 (42%) families and 201 (22%) relatives. BrS was the most prevalent diagnosis (n = 85, 28% of families; n = 140, 15% of relatives). Ajmaline testing was required to unmask the BrS in 97% of diagnosed individuals. The use of high RPLs showed a 16% incremental diagnostic yield of ajmaline testing by diagnosing BrS in an additional 49 families. There were no differences of the characteristics between individuals and families with a diagnostic pattern in the conventional and the high RPLs. On follow-up, a spontaneous type 1 Brugada pattern and/or clinically significant arrhythmic events developed in 17% (n = 25) of the concealed BrS cohort.

CONCLUSIONS:

Systematic use of ajmaline testing with high RPLs increases substantially the yield of BrS in SADS families. Assessment should be performed in expert centers where patients are counseled appropriately for the potential implications of provocation testing.

• Authors: Michael Papadakis, Efstathios Papatheodorou, Greg Mellor, Hariharan Raju, Rachel Bastiaenen, Yanushi Wijeyeratne, Sara Wasim, Bode Ensam, Gherardo Finocchiaro, Belinda Gray, Aneil Malhotra, Andrew D'Silva, Nina Edwards, Della Cole, Virginia Attard, Velislav N Batchvarov, Maria Tome-Esteban, Tessa Homfray, Mary N Sheppard, Sanjay Sharma, Elijah R Behr
• Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (J Am Coll Cardiol) Vol. 71 Issue 11 Pg. 1204-1214 (03 20 2018) ISSN: 1558-3597 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 29544603 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2018 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers
• Ajmaline

Topics

• Adult
• Ajmaline (pharmacology)
• Arrhythmias, Cardiac (diagnosis, genetics, mortality)
• Autopsy (methods)
• Brugada Syndrome (diagnosis)
• Death, Sudden, Cardiac (etiology, pathology)
• Electrocardiography (methods)
• Family
• Female
• Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Genetic Testing (methods, statistics & numerical data)
• Humans
• Male
• Reproducibility of Results
• United Kingdom
• Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Blockers (pharmacology)