Key result
Externalized pacemaker placement is followed by spontaneous sinus rhythm conversion in neonatal complete heart block.
Why the study?
Up to 90% of congenital heart block cases without anatomical abnormalities are attributed to maternal lupus or Sjögren’s disease, with postnatal cardiac manifestations considered irreversible.
Case Report (n=1)
This case demonstrates that immune-mediated 3rd degree congenital heart block, previously considered irreversible, can spontaneously convert to sinus rhythm postnatally.
Challenges irreversibility of immune-mediated congenital heart block; single case leaves open spontaneous conversion and requires confirmation.
The incidence for congenital heart block is estimated as high as 1 in 15,000 live births. Up to 90% of cases of congenital heart block, in which there is no anatomical abnormalities, are attributed to maternal systemic lupus erythematous or Sjögren’s disease. 50% of these mothers are asymptomatic at time of diagnosis. The post-natal cardiac manifestations have been felt to be irreversible. In this article we present, to our knowledge, the first case of spontaneous conversion of immune mediate 3rd degree heart block to sinus rhythm postnatally.
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Repicky et al. (2025) conducted a case report in Immune-mediated 3rd degree congenital heart block (n=1). Externalized pacemaker placement was evaluated on Spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm. A neonate with immune-mediated 3rd degree heart block experienced spontaneous conversion to sinus rhythm post externalized pacemaker placement.
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