Bradycardia and syncope as a presentation of cardiac allograft rejection involving the conducting system

Cardiovasc Pathol. 2010 Mar-Apr;19(2):117-20. doi: 10.1016/j.carpath.2008.10.006. Epub 2009 Jan 14.

Abstract

Post-heart transplantation bradycardic syncope and arrest could be due to preferential rejection of the conduction system. We present six heart transplant patients with this presentation, two of whom died. The autopsy of one of those patients demonstrated severe rejection of the conduction system, with only mild rejection throughout the rest of the myocardium. We postulate that aggressive therapy for rejection and pacemaker placement may result in improved survival in heart transplant recipients with this clinical presentation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Bradycardia / pathology*
  • Bradycardia / physiopathology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / pathology*
  • Graft Rejection / physiopathology
  • Heart Conduction System / pathology*
  • Heart Conduction System / physiopathology
  • Heart Transplantation / pathology*
  • Heart Transplantation / physiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Syncope / pathology*
  • Syncope / physiopathology
  • Young Adult