title: Laughter-induced left bundle branch block.
abstract: We present the case of a patient with ischemic heart disease and intermittent left bundle branch block, reproducibly induced by laughter. Following treatment of ischemia with successful deployment of a drug-eluting stent, no further episodes of inducible LBBB were seen. Transient ischemia, exacerbated by elevated intrathoracic pressure during laughter, may have contributed to onset of this phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA. gchow2@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Grant V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Dipan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Spragg
authors.forename: Sammy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zakaria
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002037:Bundle-Branch Block / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000295:instrumentation; D011312:Pressure; D016896:Treatment Outcome