[Congenital long QT-syndrome: the cause of recurrent syncope and sudden death at a young age]

Abstract

Congenital long QT-syndrome (LQTS) was diagnosed in three patients. The first patient, a 10-year-old girl, presented with recurrent episodes of syncope during swimming and was diagnosed with type 1 LQTS. The second patient, a 36-year-old asymptomatic man, was accidentally diagnosed with type 2 LQTS. His family history revealed syncope and sudden death at a young age after auditory stimuli. Type 3 LQTS was diagnosed post-mortem in a 16-year-old boy who died during his sleep. All clinical diagnoses were confirmed by genetic testing. Congenital LQTS is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death at a young age. Mutations in genes encoding for myocardial ion channel proteins lead to a prolonged QT-interval and abnormal ST-T segments in the 12-lead ECG. Patients may present with syncope or sudden cardiac death caused by ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Genotype-specific differences in ECG-abnormalities and triggers for cardiac events may help to distinguish the type of LQTS and make possible the initiation of genotype-specific treatment before the results of genetic testing are known. Identification of the genetic substrate by genetic testing, genotype-specific treatment, and the possibility of treatment with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator have all led to dramatic improvement in the prognosis of patients with LQTS. Therefore, young patients with unexplained recurrent syncope after specific stimuli and those with atypical forms of epilepsy should be referred for cardiologic evaluation in a specialised centre.