title: Cases of swallow syncope induced by the activation of mechanorecepters in the lower esophagus.
abstract: Swallowing is a rare cause of neurally mediated syncope. The mechanism of swallow syncope that contributes to hypotension, bradycardia, or to both is complex. A 59-year-old man had experienced a recurrent loss of consciousness during swallowing of carbonated beverages or sticky foods. Another 59-year-old man had complained of intermittent syncope just after eating foods. These two patients had no significant structural or functional abnormalities in the esophagus or heart. Both cases showed bradycardia when the lower esophagus was stretched by balloon inflation. The activation of mechanoreceptors in the lower esophagus can be regarded as an initiating factor of these cardioinhibitions. The patients were treated with permanent pacemaker implantation and instructed to change eating habits, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul Adventist Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Hoon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Wook Hyun
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Myung Chan
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jae Il
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Dong Jun
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Won
mesh_terms: D001919:Bradycardia / Q000209:etiology; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000294:innervation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013575:Syncope / Q000209:etiology*