title: Adolescent asystolic syncope.
abstract: When the etiology of syncope is considered, age is a major parameter. Breath-holding spells are thought of as an entity of early childhood, whereas neurogenic syncope is limited to older children and adults. Both entities, however, involve a similar derangement of the autonomic nervous system. We report an adolescent with a history of breath-holding spells presenting to our institution with neurogenic syncope. Her response to vagal stimulation is consistent with that seen by other investigators in both entities. We propose that pallid breath-holding spells and neurogenic syncope are the same entity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Shore
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Painter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003490:Cyanosis / Q000150:complications; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000150:complications; D013575:Syncope / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen