Brugada syndrome: an update

Future Cardiol. 2013 Mar;9(2):253-71. doi: 10.2217/fca.12.82.

Abstract

More than 20 years have passed since the description of Brugada syndrome as a clinical entity. The original case series depicted patients who all had coved ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads, associated with a high risk of sudden death and no apparent structural heart disease. As subsequent registry data were published, it became apparent that the spectrum of risk is wide, with the majority of patients classified as low risk. Two consensus documents have been published that will continue to be updated. Despite intense research efforts, many controversies still exist over its pathophysiology and the risk stratification for sudden death. Management continues to be challenging with a lack of drug therapy and high complication rates from implantable cardioverter defibrillators. In this review, we highlight the current state-of-the-art therapies and their controversies.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arrhythmias, Cardiac / epidemiology
  • Autonomic Nervous System / physiopathology
  • Body Surface Potential Mapping
  • Brugada Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Brugada Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Brugada Syndrome / genetics
  • Brugada Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Brugada Syndrome / therapy*
  • Catheter Ablation
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / epidemiology
  • Defibrillators, Implantable
  • Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Genetic Testing
  • Heart Conduction System / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Assessment
  • Survival Analysis