Assessing the risk of sudden cardiac death

Detection of a major risk factor for sudden death in an otherwise asymptomatic person often raises major difficulties in management, particularly where the only treatment available is invasive, such as the implantable defibrillator. Recent guidelines have described the appropriate use of this technology, but often difficulty remains. This is particularly the case where the condition is newly recognised and its natural history not yet extensively described. A 63 year old man, whose condition was diagnosed as Brugada syndrome, in whom this problem is illustrated is described.