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Insertable loop recorder in unmasking the cause of syncope
E N Simantirakis1, S I Chrysostomakis, E G Manios
1Cardiology Department, Heraklion University Hospital, Crete, Greece.
Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology : PACE
|November 4, 2000
Summary
Implantable loop recorders aid in diagnosing unexplained syncope. In one case, a loop recorder identified ventricular tachycardia as the cause of syncope after other tests failed.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Unexplained syncope presents a diagnostic challenge.
- Conventional invasive and noninvasive tests are often inconclusive for syncope investigation.
Observation:
- A patient with a 5-year history of pre-syncopal and syncopal episodes underwent diagnostic evaluation.
- Standard diagnostic methods failed to identify the cause of the patient's recurrent syncope.
Findings:
- An implantable loop recorder was implanted to monitor cardiac activity.
- The loop recorder detected a fast, sustained ventricular tachycardia originating from the right ventricular outflow tract, identifying the cause of syncope.
Implications:
- Loop recorders are increasingly valuable for diagnosing unexplained syncope.
- Utilizing loop recorders may reduce the rate of undiagnosed syncope cases.
- This technology has the potential to lower diagnostic investigation costs.