Syncope in the act of swallowing (swallowing syncope)
Ickrath, O.; Haasis, R.; Jendrychowski, A.; Seipel, L.
Zeitschrift für Kardiologie 77(7): 452-455
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-5860 PMID: 3062956 Document Number: 306070
In a 30-year-old female patient with recurrent syncope during swallowing, intermittent complete AV-block was documented as the underlying mechanism. This phenomenon could be provoked by inflating a balloon positioned in the lower esophagus. The His-bundle electrocardiogram, recorded simultaneously, showed a progressive increase of the normal AH-interval, up to complete block distal to the A-wave. Atropine prevented induction of the block. After implantation of a VVI pacemaker, the symptoms disappeared completely. This very rare phenomenon of swallowing syncope is probably due to a pathologic vago-vagal reflex.