Transient high-grade heart block in a syncopal child with a normal outpatient cardiac evaluation
Michael He1, Vanessa Ogueri1, Elizabeth Sherwin1
1Division of Cardiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA.
Insights
Idiopathic heart block can cause syncope in children. This case highlights the importance of considering heart block in pediatric patients with recurrent fainting spells, even after thorough evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Electrophysiology
- Syncope Evaluation
Background:
- Heart block is a rare but serious cause of syncope in children.
- While autoimmune and infectious causes are common, idiopathic atrioventricular block occurs in a subset of pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Heart block is an uncommon but serious cause of syncope in pediatric patients, and though autoimmune and infectious processes are often the cause, a rare subset of patients experience idiopathic childhood atrioventricular block. This report describes a transient high-grade heart block in a young child with a history of recurrent syncope, which was idiopathic despite an extensive outpatient evaluation. This case demonstrates the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for heart block or arrhythmia as a cause of syncope in pediatric patients.
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