Profound Sinoatrial Arrest Associated with Ibrutinib

Ibrutinib is a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor approved for second-line treatment for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Ibrutinib use has been linked to increased incidence of atrial fibrillation and hypertension in multiple studies. Other forms of cardiac toxicities have also been reported in isolated case reports. Bradycardia and asystole have not been associated with ibrutinib use in the past.

We present a case of a 76-year-old female with no prior cardiac history, who initiated treatment with ibrutinib for relapsing mantle cell lymphoma and was noted to have symptomatic bradycardia, greater than 20 second long pauses on her cardiac monitor requiring placement of a permanent pacemaker.

This is the first case associating bradycardia and asystole with tyrosine kinase inhibitor use. Irreversible inhibition of certain cardioprotective tyrosine kinases has been a growing topic of research in oncology therapeutics.