Revealing data retrieved from an implantable loop recorder.
This patient is an 80-year-old man with a history of recurrent syncope of unknown etiology who underwent an extensive cardiac and neurologic evaluation which was essentially negative. The patient subsequently received an implantable loop recorder (Reveal , Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota). Eight months after implantation, this device was activated by the patient following a syncopal episode. The episode revealed over 30 seconds of sinus arrest with only 3 ventricular escape complexes observed during that time. The patient activated this device and was subsequently referred for a dual chamber permanent pacemaker, which was implanted without complications. This case illustrates the advantages of a non-vascular, implantable loop recorder for helping to define the etiology of recurrent unexplained syncope.