Head-up Tilt Test for Assessing Complications of Neurally Mediated Syncope and Other Causes of Unconsciousness: Case Series

We investigated NMS with coexisting disease. We examined 63 cases by using the head-up tilt test HUT to diagnose unexplained syncope between 1998 and 2001. Drug free HUT durations of 20 min at 60; was used. If there was negative study by drug free HUT, Isoproterenol protocol during HUT was used as an additional tool for eliciting. Twenty seven cases out of 63 were diagnosed as NMS. 9 cases out of 27 diagnosed as NMS complicated with other causes for syncope, which included 2 cases of epilepsy, 2 cases of tachycardic arrhythmia, and 5 cases of bradycardic arrhythmia. In conclusion, it is important to keep in mind that the symptoms of NMS may be seen as complications in various diseases that can cause unconsciousness.

[1]  R. Ruiz-Granell,et al.  Selective use of diagnostic tests inpatients with syncope of unknown cause. , 2003, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[2]  P. Cooper,et al.  Misdiagnosis of epilepsy: many seizure-like attacks have a cardiovascular cause. , 2000, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[3]  Bruce Scheepers,et al.  The misdiagnosis of epilepsy: findings of a population study , 1998, Seizure.

[4]  P. Toutouzas,et al.  Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Induced During Tilt Table Testing in a Patient with Syncope and Probable Dysfunction of the Sinus Node , 1995, Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE.

[5]  F. Jaeger,et al.  Incidence and Predictors of Syncope in Paced Patients with Sick Sinus Syndrome , 1992, Pacing and clinical electrophysiology : PACE.

[6]  M. Brignole,et al.  Neurally mediated syncope detected by carotid sinus massage and head-up tilt test in sick sinus syndrome. , 1991, The American journal of cardiology.

[7]  A. Raviele,et al.  Usefulness of head-up tilt test in evaluating patients with syncope of unknown origin and negative electrophysiologic study. , 1990, The American journal of cardiology.

[8]  B. Strasberg,et al.  The head-up tilt table test in patients with syncope of unknown origin. , 1989, American heart journal.

[9]  A. Fitzpatrick,et al.  TILTING TOWARDS A DIAGNOSIS IN RECURRENT UNEXPLAINED SYNCOPE , 1989, The Lancet.

[10]  R. Kenny,et al.  HEAD-UP TILT: A USEFUL TEST FOR INVESTIGATING UNEXPLAINED SYNCOPE , 1986, The Lancet.

[11]  P. Vardas,et al.  Methodology of head-up tilt testing in patients with unexplained syncope. , 1991, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.