title: Brugada syndrome: report of the second consensus conference: endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society and the European Heart Rhythm Association.
abstract: Since its introduction as a clinical entity in 1992, the Brugada syndrome has progressed from being a rare disease to one that is second only to automobile accidents as a cause of death among young adults in some countries. Electrocardiographically characterized by a distinct ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads, the syndrome is associated with a high risk for sudden cardiac death in young and otherwise healthy adults, and less frequently in infants and children. Patients with a spontaneously appearing Brugada ECG have a high risk for sudden arrhythmic death secondary to ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation. The ECG manifestations of Brugada syndrome are often dynamic or concealed and may be unmasked or modulated by sodium channel blockers, a febrile state, vagotonic agents, alpha-adrenergic agonists, beta-adrenergic blockers, tricyclic or tetracyclic antidepressants, a combination of glucose and insulin, hypo- and hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia, and alcohol and cocaine toxicity. In recent years, an exponential rise in the number of reported cases and a striking proliferation of articles defining the clinical, genetic, cellular, ionic, and molecular aspects of the disease have occurred. The report of the first consensus conference, published in 2002, focused on diagnostic criteria. The present report, which emanated from the second consensus conference held in September 2003, elaborates further on the diagnostic criteria and examines risk stratification schemes and device and pharmacological approaches to therapy on the basis of the available clinical and basic science data.
authors.affiliation: Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, 2150 Bleecker St, Utica, NY 13501, USA. ca@mmrl.edu
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Antzelevitch
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brugada
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borggrefe
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brugada
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brugada
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corrado
authors.forename: Ihor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gussak
authors.forename: Herve
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: LeMarec
authors.forename: Koonlawee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nademanee
authors.forename: Andres Ricardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Perez Riera
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schulze-Bahr
authors.forename: Hanno
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilde
mesh_terms: D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000150:complications; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000150:complications