Clinical evaluation and current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of Brugada syndrome

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a cardiac channelopathy associated with an increased risk of unexplained syncope, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, or sudden cardiac death. The patients with BrS often have the arrhythmia at rest or while asleep. It could also be triggered by fever or medications. About 15% of those with BrS have a family history of this condition. BrS is diagnosed by identifying ST segment elevation in leads V1–V2 with a right bundle branch block-like appearance of standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) placed in the fourth intercostal space. The ST segment elevation could also be unmasked or become more obvious by placing lead V1–V2 in the second and third intercostal spaces. In some patients, the ECG shows a prolonged PR interval but normal QTc interval. The first-line therapy for patients with BrS presenting with prior cardiac arrest or documented ventricular tachycardia is an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). In the cases with recurrent ventricular arrhythmia or electrical storm, pharmacological therapy with quinidine is recommended as an adjunct to an ICD. This article is an overview of the clinical evaluation and current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of BrS.