Cardioneuroablation for pediatric patients with functional sinus node dysfunction and paroxysmal atrioventricular block.

INTRODUCTION: Severe transitory episodes of bradycardia with subsequent syncope in children are common, and generally portend a benign prognosis. Rarely, patients may experience prolonged asystolic episodes secondary to significant sinus pauses (SP) or paroxysmal atrioventricular block (AVB). Cardioneuroablation (CNA) is a catheter-based intervention, used to identify and ablate the epicardial ganglionated plexi (GP), which results in disruption of the vagal-mediated parasympathetic input to the sinus and atrioventricular node. OBJECTIVE: Describe the methodology and role of CNA for treatment of pediatric patients with functional AVB or SP. METHODS: This is a single-center, case series study. Patients with SP or AVB, 21 years of age or younger, who underwent CNA between 2015 and 2021 were included. CNA was performed via anatomically guided and high-frequency stimulation methods. RESULTS: Six patients were included. The median age was 18.9 years (range 12.3-20.9 years), 33% female. Two patients had prolonged SP, two had paroxysmal AVB, and two had both SP and AVB. Four patients had prior syncope. The median longest pause was 8.9 s (range 3.9-16.8) with 11 total documented pauses (range 2-231) during the 6 months pre-CNA. Post-CNA, the median longest pause was 1.3 s (range 0.8-2.2) with one documented SP after termination of atrial tachycardia at the 3-month follow-up. At 6 months, the median longest pause was 1.1 s (0.8-1.3) with 0 documented pauses. No patients had syncope post-CNA. CONCLUSION: CNA may be an effective alternative to pacemaker implantation in pediatric patients with syncope or significant symptoms secondary to functional SP or AVB.

Cardioneuroablation can be an effective strategy to treat glossopharyngeal neuralgia-related sinus bradycardia and pauses.

INTRODUCTION: Cardioneuroablation (CNA) has proven effectiveness in addressing hypervagotonia symptoms, such as neurocardiogenic syncope. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this case, we present the first-time application of CNA in a case of vago-glossopharyngeal neuralgia (VGPN). A 59-year-old female with near-syncope, sinus bradycardia, and sinus pauses triggered by recurrent right-sided neck pain was diagnosed with VGPN. The patient underwent successful treatment with carbamazepine and CNA. Subsequent follow-up revealed the sustained absence of sinus bradycardia or pauses, even upon neck pain resurgence after discontinuing carbamazepine. CONCLUSION: In this patient, CNA successfully prevented pauses associated with VGPN, avoiding permanent pacemaker implantation.

An elderly woman with worrisome weakness: Take a pause to think of blocked PACs.

We present the case of a 93-year-old woman with dementia, with no pertinent cardiac history except for hyperlipidemia, who presented to the emergency department with six months of progressive dysphagia, weakness, and falls. While she had no seemingly cardiac symptoms and or remarkable cardiovascular examination features, the patient's initial electrocardiogram (ECG) showed occasional brief pauses with no atrial or ventricular activity. Computer interpretation of the rhythm was "sinus pause," but upon closer investigation, the true diagnosis was different, but with potential to be equally ominous if not accurately recognized and appropriately managed.

Swallow-induced syncope and carotid sinus hypersensitivity: Coincident or associated conditions?

Swallow induced syncope is a rare clinical condition which is thought to result from an abnormal vagal reflex leading to bradycardia and cerebral hypoperfusion. It mostly occurs in patients with organic or functional disorders of the esophagus, and often requires permanent pacemaker implantation, along with treatment of the underlying esophageal pathology. In the following case, we report of a 71-year-old male with achalasia post per oral endoscopic myectomy, who presented with syncope and documented AV-block while eating solid food. In addition, long sinus pauses were noted during carotid sinus massage, suggesting that the two distinct entities may be associated, and further supporting the mechanism of neurally mediated syncope in the pathophysiology of swallow-induced syncope.

Anti-N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Encephalitis and Life-Threatening Sinus Node Dysfunction: A Case Report, Literature Review, and Analysis of 23 Cases.

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is the most common form of autoimmune encephalitis, presenting with various psychiatric manifestations, including behavioral and cognitive impairments, movement disorders, decreased consciousness, dysphasia, seizures, and autonomic dysfunction. Autonomic dysfunction may involve hyperthermia, apnea, hypotension, tachycardia, and life-threatening manifestations of sinus node dysfunction (SND), such as bradycardia, sinus pause or arrest, and asystole. The severity and significance of SND are critical, as it is not uncommon for these patients to progress into asystolic cardiac arrest, potentially contributing to morbidity and mortality. Accordingly, we present the case of an 18-year-old female with anti-NMDAR encephalitis who experienced multiple episodes of sinus pause/arrest and asystolic cardiac arrest, achieving a return of spontaneous circulation after successful CPR in all instances, ultimately requiring permanent pacemaker implantation. Additionally, we performed a literature review and analyzed 23 similar anti-NMDAR encephalitis cases with SND manifestations, including sinus pause/arrest or asystolic cardiac arrest, to identify common risk factors and describe management strategies and outcomes. Moreover, we investigated the potential association between teratoma and permanent pacemaker use in SND.

Heart Block and Sinus Pause Following Abdominal Surgery: A Case Requiring Temporary Pacemaker Insertion.

This case report presents the clinical course of a 70-year-old female with a history of hypertension who developed sinus pauses following abdominal surgery, ultimately requiring the placement of a pacemaker. The patient initially presented with altered mental status preceded by abdominal pain, which progressed to confusion and obtundation. Examination revealed signs of toxicity, tachycardia, tachypnea, and a distended abdomen with absent bowel sounds. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen indicated closed-loop small bowel obstruction with free air and ascites. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy, revealing purulent fluid and a necrotic, perforated appendix, leading to appendectomy and peritoneal irrigation. Subsequent surgeries addressed the coagulative necrosis of the omentum and wound closure. During the recovery period, the patient exhibited bradycardia with sinus pauses, including episodes of complete heart block. Cardiology consultation attributed this to increased parasympathetic tone following surgery and recommended the placement of a temporary transvenous pacemaker. As the patient's condition improved, the sinus pacing function progressively returned, leading to the removal of the pacemaker. This case underscores the potential development of sinus pauses after abdominal surgery and highlights the importance of prompt recognition, appropriate management, and collaboration between surgical and cardiology teams to ensure patient recovery.

Translational implications of bradyarrhythmia in hibernating brown bears.

The brown bear Ursus arctos undergoes exceptional physiological adaptions during annual hibernation that minimize energy consumption, including profound decrease in heart rate, cardiac output, and respiratory rate. These changes are completely reversible after the bears reenter into the active state in spring. In this case report, we show episodes of sinus arrest in a hibernating Scandinavian brown bear and in humans, recorded by implantable loop recorders and discuss the possible underlying mechanisms. Lessons learned from cardiac adaptations in hibernating bears might prove useful in the treatment of patients with sinus node dysfunction.

Resolution of Marked Bradycardia Following Angioplasty.

Bradycardia, a condition commonly managed conservatively and, subsequently, with pacemaker implantation presents a unique challenge when coexisting with coronary artery disease (CAD). This case report delves into an unusual scenario where bradycardia and its related symptoms resolved following coronary angioplasty. Our goal is to contribute valuable data to the argument for a comprehensive evaluation of bradycardic patients for underlying CAD prior to considering pacemaker implantation. This approach aims to prevent unnecessary pacemaker implantations and offers insights into the optimal management of patients presenting with both arrhythmia and CAD. The unusual resolution of bradycardia in this case underscores the importance of considering CAD as a possible underlying factor in bradycardic patients, prompting a reevaluation of conventional treatment protocols. By documenting this exceptional case, the authors advocate a more nuanced and individualized treatment strategy in the management of bradycardia, emphasizing the need to assess and address CAD as part of the diagnostic workup.

Sinus Arrest in Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory tract syndrome capable of affecting a multitude of major organs in the human body. It is a known cause of severe vascular compromise, myocardial ischemia, myocarditis, and various cardiac dysrhythmias. Dysfunction of the sinoatrial (SA) node, the primary pacemaker of the heart, can arise from structural heart disease, medications, electrolyte abnormalities, and hypothyroidism. We report and discuss a case of a 50-year-old female with no significant past medical history (PMH) and no SA dysfunction risk factors, who experienced multiple syncopal events and an episode of sinus arrest characterized by transient asystole captured with telemetry monitoring. The patient was incidentally found to be COVID-19 positive and displayed no signs or symptoms concerning the viral illness. Despite our patient's lack of respiratory issues or other symptomatology, a significant and potentially fatal relationship exists between her viral infection and cardiac sequelae.

Post Total Thyroidectomy Deglutition Syncope.

Deglutition syncope is a form of situational syncope where patients develop presyncope or syncope during swallowing. This condition has been observed to occur most commonly in patients with prior gastroesophageal conditions. Our patient developed deglutition syncope that started to occur a few weeks after undergoing a total thyroidectomy. The patient was found to have paroxysmal atrioventricular (AV) block, with up to 5.1 seconds of asystole during swallowing, manifested with episodes of dizziness and lightheadedness. A barium swallow test revealed normal peristalsis and no evidence of dysmotility. The patient underwent placement of a dual chamber pacemaker, and the syncopal episodes resolved. Interrogation of the pacemaker showed no recorded abnormal events.

Lyme Carditis Manifesting as Wenckebach Heart Block.

Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi is a multisystem disease and can lead to Lyme carditis. The most common presentation of Lyme carditis is conduction system disturbances such as atrioventricular (AV) block. A 72-year-old male with a past medical history of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and prostate cancer presented with chest tightness, lightheadedness, and presyncope. During hospitalization, he developed bradycardia with heart rates ranging between 30 and 40 beats per minute and Wenckebach heart block. Lyme serology was consistent with a recent Lyme infection. He was treated with antibiotics and was eventually discharged home without requiring pacemaker implantation.

Severe OSA Leading to Long Pauses in 24-h Holter ECG Reversed with CPAP.

INTRODUCTION: Sleep-related problems like sleep apnea are increasing tremendously mostly owing to the disordered lifestyle the present generation is leading which is added like a topping on the base of obesity and metabolic syndrome. The burden on the society is huge taking into consideration the work-time loss and health-related financial issues arising out of these sleep disorders with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) leading the way. Early diagnosis can prevent several complications of OSA. Cardiovascular diseases, including various arrhythmias, arising due to OSA, are described previously. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, an interesting case of OSA, whose pacemaker installation to rectify the long pause could be avoided by simple correction of his OSA using continuous positive airway pressure, is presented. This 49-year-old male patient was diagnosed with severe OSA by using polysomnography and all his significant sinus pauses (highest one with 7.8 sec) during holter ECG monitoring were found to be occurring at night and correcting his OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment reverted all those sinus pauses and the need for any further intervention with pacemaker was discarded. DISCUSSION: OSA is caused by either partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway, and there is the simultaneously attenuated upper airway dilator muscle tone while the patient is sleeping. The gold standard test designed for the assessment of OSA is polysomnography, as approved by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and CPAP has been found to be universally beneficial in treating OSA related complications. Physiologically, the ACC/AHA guidelines recommend pacing only in patients with prolonged asymptomatic pauses occurring during wakefulness. This case report proved the above mentioned claim of CPAP treatment.

Transient Asymptomatic Sinus Bradycardia and Sinus Pauses with Bevacizumab: Case Report and Literature Review.

Systemic side effects of anti-cancer therapy remain a major limiting factor for patients, even with targeted therapy. Bevacizumab is an example of targeted cancer therapy which targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) that has been approved for the treatment of various cancers and has been evaluated in metastatic urothelial carcinoma (MUC). We report a case of MUC on bevacizumab containing regimen who developed temporary asymptomatic sinus bradycardia with sinus pauses. That adverse event was thought to be related to the bevacizumab in her cancer regimen. Her Holter monitoring recording for a total duration of 28 days and 14 h after discharge did not show recurrence of sinus pauses. This case indicates the necessity for observation for the cardiac conduction defects as side effects in patients receiving bevacizumab, especially since they might be asymptomatic and transient.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Presenting with Sinoatrial Disease: A Rare Presentation.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM), or apical ballooning syndrome, is a distinct nonischemic cardiomyopathy mimicking acute coronary syndrome. A 76-year-old female presented with ST elevation in the inferior lead and a troponin level of 0.81 ng/dL. An immediate coronary angiography showed non-obstructive coronary artery disease. A subsequent ventriculogram and echocardiogram showed anteroapical and distal inferior wall hypokinesis suggestive of TCM. Despite therapy with beta blocker, she was observed to have two significant sinus pauses, one eight-second, and a second 29-second pause. An urgent transvenous pacemaker was put in place and later followed by a permanent pacemaker. The patient was discharged on carvedilol and losartan. Although other arrhythmias such as complete heart block, torsades, and ventricular arrhythmias have been commonly reported, the association of TCM with recurrent sinus arrest has rarely been reported in the literature. The occurrence observed in this case implies that patients with TCM should be monitored closely for arrhythmias, and, if such a condition is identified, planning for permanent pacemaker implantation should be started early enough to avoid recurrent life-threatening episodes.

Ictal sinus pause and myoclonic seizure in a child.

Ictal tachycardia and bradycardia are common arrhythmias; however, ictal sinus pause and asystole are rare. Ictal arrhythmia is mostly reported in adults with temporal lobe epilepsy. Recently, ictal arrhythmia was recognized as a major warning sign of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. We present an interesting case of a child with ictal sinus pause and asystole. A 27-month-old girl was hospitalized due to 5 episodes of convulsions during the past 2 days. Results of routine electroencephalography (EEG) were normal, but she experienced brief generalized tonic seizure for 3 days. During video-monitored EEG and echocardiography (ECG), she showed multiple myoclonic seizures simultaneously or independently, as well as frequent sinus pauses. After treatment with valproic acid, myoclonus and generalized tonic seizures were well controlled and only 2 sinus pauses were seen on 24-hour Holter ECG monitoring. Sinus dysfunction should be recognized on EEG, and it can sometimes be treated successfully with only antiepileptic medication.

Cardiac Effects of Siponimod (BAF312) Re-initiation After Variable Periods of Drug Discontinuation in Healthy Subjects.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of siponimod treatment re-initiation on the initial negative chronotropic effects and cardiac rhythm after variable drug discontinuation periods. METHODS: This partially double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted in healthy subjects. Siponimod doses (0.5-4.0 mg) and placebo were evaluated in combination with drug discontinuation periods ranging from 48 to 192 hours. Twelve-lead Holter ECGs were performed from 1.5 hours before until 24 hours after single-dose re-initiation. Atrioventricular blocks (AVBs) and sinus pauses (RR >2 seconds) were categorized according to dose level, discontinuation period, and resting and nonresting hours. FINDINGS: Of the enrolled 138 subjects, 117 were evaluated. Demographic and baseline characteristics were comparable between the treatment groups. Subjects rechallenged at the combination of 4 mg/192 hours (highest investigated dose and longest discontinuation period [7 missed doses]) exhibited the highest decrease in pooled, placebo-adjusted heart rate (HR) of 14.53 beats/min. The magnitude of the negative chronotropic effect of siponimod re-initiation was dependent on both dose and duration of treatment discontinuation. Regardless of the dose, the placebo-adjusted HR reduction at re-initiation of drug treatment after up to 96 hours of drug discontinuation remained <10 beats/min. Except for 1 outlier for HR decrease under the 96-hour/placebo combination, no outliers were observed for any combination up to and including the 96-hour discontinuation periods. Most of the AVBs and sinus pauses were observed during nocturnal hours concurrent with increased vagal tone. All detected AVBs and sinus pauses were asymptomatic and not considered clinically relevant. IMPLICATIONS: Siponimod could be safely re-initiated without retitration after drug discontinuation periods up to 96 hours. Retitration is required if patients miss ≥ 4 consecutive doses.

Sinus pause in association with Lyme carditis.

Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Cardiac involvement is seen in 4% to 10% of patients with Lyme disease. The principal manifestation of Lyme carditis is self-limited conduction system disease, with predominant involvement of the atrioventricular node. On rare occasions, Lyme carditis patients present with other conduction system disorders such as bundle branch block, intraventricular conduction delay, and supraventricular or ventricular tachycardia. We report the unusual case of a 59-year-old man who presented with new-onset symptomatic sinus pauses one month after hiking in upstate New York. To our knowledge, this is the first case report from North America that describes the relationship between symptomatic sinus pause and Lyme carditis.