[Recent clinical picture of Brugada syndrome]

Abstract

Brugada syndrome is a genetically-based autosomal dominant condition. It occurs as a result of some disorder of ion channels which regulate currents responsible for development of activity potential. Brugada syndrome may appear as a family disease or as a sporadic condition. The syndrome can develop at every age of human life, yet, most frequently in the 3-4th life decade, mostly in men (85%). Its main symptoms include: malignant ventricular arrhythmia leading to fainting, and consequently accounting for, at least 4-12% of all sudden cardiac deaths and for 20-50% of deaths without any confirmed organic heart disease. The purpose of the paper was to present the currently-possessed knowledge about the condition and to highlight the necessity of an indepth ECG analysis, especially with respect to discovery of rare conditions. Due to different clinical symptoms of Brugada syndrome and a possibility of occurrence of changes in the ECG record, it is necessary to regularly monitor and check Brugada syndrome patients. Moreover, it is important to make both patients and first-contact doctors aware of a Brugada syndrome diagnosis and to inform them about a necessity of eliminating certain medicaments and factors (infections, intense physical activity) responsible for sudden cardiac death. Despite possessing great and advanced knowledge about the disorder, the implementation of cardioverter-defibrillator remains the only effective way of treating malignant arrhythmia and of preventing sudden cardiac death.