[Recurrent syncope during deglutition. An uncommon form of sinusal dysfunction]

The authors report the case of a 69 year old man with a 16 year history of syncope occurring only while swallowing liquids. Two episodes were observed during a hospital admission to the intensive care unit for unstable angina and allowed documentation of prolonged sinus arrest (7 sec) causing syncope. In the light of this case and a review of the literature, the physiopathological role of deglutition in the genesis of cardiac conduction defects and arrhythmias is discussed and the new classification of sinus node dysfunction proposed by Bashour in 1985 is recalled.