Painful left bundle branch block [corrected] syndrome treated successfully with permanent His bundle pacing

Chest Pain With Exercise-Induced Left Bundle-Branch Block-Is There a Connection?

This case report describes a patient in their early 60s with chest pain during exertion.

Pacing of Specialized Conduction System

Right ventricular pacing for bradycardia remains the mainstay of pacing therapy. Chronic right ventricular pacing may lead to pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. We focus on the anatomy of the conduction system and the clinical feasibility of pacing the His bundle and/or left bundle conduction system. We review the hemodynamics of conduction system pacing, the techniques to capture the conduction system and the electrocardiogram and pacing definitions of conduction system capture. Clinical studies of conduction system pacing in the setting of atrioventricular block and after AV junction ablation are reviewed and the evolving role of conduction system pacing is compared with biventricular pacing.

Painful left bundle branch block syndrome successfully treated by His-bundle pacing

Painful left bundle branch block (LBBB) syndrome is a rare cause of episodic chest pain associated with transient LBBB in the absence of flow-limiting coronary artery disease and myocardial ischaemia on functional testing. The aetiology of this phenomenon is not clear, but in many reported cases, these transient episodes of LBBB are rate related. The mechanism of chest pain is not well understood. Still, it is postulated that sudden loss of the ventricular contraction synchrony, which happens in LBBB, will induce a different perception of heartbeat in the brain with possible translation to the chest pain. Various treatment modalities were attempted in the past, including exercise training, medical therapy with beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers or device therapy with right ventricle pacing, biventricular pacing and lately, His-bundle pacing. This case report presents a woman with intermittent episodes of typical angina with periodic LBBB changes on her ECG. Telemetry monitoring and treadmill exercise tests show a 100% association between angina episodes and LBBB changes on ECG. Her transthoracic echocardiogram shows normal left ventricle structure and function, and her coronary angiogram shows no flow-limiting coronary artery disease. She has been successfully treated by His-bundle pacing, and her symptoms entirely resolved on her serial follow-up.

Painful LBBB syndrome: a rare cause of angina

Painful left bundle branch block (LBBB) syndrome is an uncommon condition that is largely underdiagnosed. In this report, we describe a man in his 40s who had typical rate-dependent LBBB associated with angina without evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease.

Non-ischemic Painful Intermittent Left Bundle Branch Block With Infra-Hisian Block Treated Successfully With Biventricular Pacemaker: A Case Report and Literature Review

Non-ischemic painful left bundle branch block (LBBB) is defined as chest pain that occurs simultaneously with the appearance of left bundle branch block and resolves with the disappearance of the left bundle branch block in patients without evidence of myocardial ischemia. The underlying mechanism of this rare clinical occurrence has not been fully understood, but it has been proposed that it results from ventricular dyssynchrony. In this case report, we present a 65-year-old male with non-ischemic chest pain who was found to have intermittent left bundle branch block (ILBBB) with infra-Hisian conduction delay, treated successfully with a biventricular pacemaker. After excluding the presence of angiographic coronary artery disease, an electrophysiology study was conducted to direct the management and investigate other causes of chest pain. The present study highlights the importance of obtaining electrophysiology studies in patients with painful left bundle branch block with no angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease to diagnose this uncommon syndrome.

Pacing of Specialized Conduction System

Right ventricular pacing for bradycardia remains the mainstay of pacing therapy. Chronic right ventricular pacing may lead to pacing-induced cardiomyopathy. We focus on the anatomy of the conduction system and the clinical feasibility of pacing the His bundle and/or left bundle conduction system. We review the hemodynamics of conduction system pacing, the techniques to capture the conduction system and the electrocardiogram and pacing definitions of conduction system capture. Clinical studies of conduction system pacing in the setting of atrioventricular block and after AV junction ablation are reviewed and the evolving role of conduction system pacing is compared with biventricular pacing.

Effects of His bundle pacing and right ventricular apex pacing on cardiac electrical and mechanical synchrony and cardiac function in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of right ventricular apex pacing and His bundle pacing on cardiac mechanical and electrical synchrony and cardiac function in patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation.

METHODS

A total of 72 patients with heart failure and atrial fibrillation who received permanent pacemaker implantation in our hospital were randomly divided into two groups, with 36 patients in each group. The control group received the right ventricular apex pacing, and the study group received His bundle pacing. In the two groups, the pacing parameters, cardiac function, cardiac electricity, mechanical synchrony, complications and living quality were compared.

RESULTS

During operation and 12 months after the operation, the study group's pacing threshold was higher than the pacing threshold of the control group (all P<0.001). Compared with that before the procedure, NYHA grade and LVEDD of the two groups 12 months after operation were decreased (all P<0.001), while LVEF and various quality of life scores were increased (all P<0.001). The study group's NYHA grade and LVEDD were lower than those of the control group 12 months after operation (all P<0.001), while the study group's quality of life scores and LVEF were higher than those of the control group (all P<0.001). Twelve months after operation, the study group's QRS width and IVMD were lower than QRS width and IVMD of the control group (all P<0.001). The study group's complication rate was 5.56% (2/36), which was lower than the control group's complication rate (22.22% (8/36), P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Compared with right ventricular apical pacing, His bundle pacing in the treatment of heart failure with atrial fibrillation can better maintain the cardiac electrical and mechanical synchronization, promote the recovery of cardiac function, improve living quality, and has fewer complications and significant advantages.

Painful Left Bundle Branch Block Syndrome Complicated by Iron-Overload Cardiomyopathy

Painful left bundle branch block (LBBB) syndrome is a rare disease that presents as simultaneous chest pain and transient LBBB without myocardial ischemia. We diagnosed a 72-year-old Japanese man with painful LBBB syndrome complicated by iron-overload cardiomyopathy. Phlebotomy was initially performed to improve myocardial iron deposition and conductive disturbance. Ironically, his chest pain was fully improved by the completion of incessant LBBB and walk-through phenomenon. However, this case demonstrates a clinically significant therapeutic strategy for cardiomyopathy-induced painful LBBB syndrome. Due to the lack of treatment guidelines, individualized treatment is required for each case of painful LBBB.

Chest Pain Resolution with His-bundle Pacing in a Patient with Left Bundle Branch Block-related Nonischemic Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Chest pain in patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB) and normal coronaries has been reported previously in the literature. Prior cases of intermittent LBBB and "chest pain syndrome" are known of, but the causes of and treatment options for such remain unclear. A mechanism of myocardial dyssynchrony has been proposed as a possible cause of the pain, but this has not yet widely been investigated. The application of His-bundle pacing techniques to promote normal activation of the conduction system may be a treatment option. The function of cardiac implantable electronic devices can be followed via remote monitoring (RM), a vital tool in this unique patient population. The present report introduces the case of a 51-year-old female to highlight this under-recognized syndrome, including the pacing technologies used for treatment and the crucial role of RM follow-up in such affected individuals.

Left Bundle Branch Block: Current and Future Perspectives

Left bundle branch block may be due to conduction system degeneration or a reflection of myocardial pathology. Left bundle branch block may also develop following aortic valve disease or cardiac procedures. Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and left bundle branch block may respond positively to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Lead placement via the coronary sinus is the mainstay approach of cardiac resynchronization therapy. However, other options, including physiological pacing, are being explored. In this review, we summarize the salient pathophysiologic and clinical aspects of left bundle branch block, as well as current and future strategies for management.

[CME: Left Bundle Branch Block and Painful Left Bundle Branch Block Syndrome]

CME: Left Bundle Branch Block and Painful Left Bundle Branch Block Syndrome Abstract. Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is the electrocardiographic correlate of a pathologic transmission of the electrical signals in the myocardium which can lead to a dyssynchronous left ventricular activation and thus to an inefficient contraction of the ventricles. It is usually the expression of an underlying cardiopathy and represents an independent risk factor of cardiovascular mortality, therefore further examination is indicated in each case. Besides the treatment of an underlying disease, a specific therapy has been available since the introduction of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). A rarer phenomenon is the painful left bundle branch block in structurally healthy hearts.

Persistent Exertional Chest Pain in a Marathon Runner: Exercise-induced, Painful, Left Bundle Branch Block Syndrome Treated With His-Bundle Pacing

A 49-year-old woman presented with exercise-induced chest discomfort during long-distance running that was occasionally present during rest. Significant coronary artery disease was excluded and a diagnosis of “painful left bundle branch block (LBBB) syndrome” was made after correlation of LBBB aberrancy with symptoms during Holter monitoring. The patient underwent confirmatory testing consisting of rapid atrial pacing below and above 130 beats per minute, the rate cut-off for LBBB manifestation. His bundle pacing implantation was performed resulting in both non-selective and selective morphologies depending on output, both of which manifested with a painless narrow QRS regardless of rate. She was rendered completely pain free during long-distance running and remains so 6-months later. Her pain at rest, now thought to be due to severe anxiety secondary to her painful LBBB, has also subsided. Exercise-induced, painful LBBB is a rare phenomenon that manifests as chest discomfort when LBBB is present. This disease is frequently misdiagnosed as coronary angina, has limited medical treatment options, and can be disabling. HBP is an attractive treatment for this syndrome in an effort to avoid electromechanical dyssynchrony, the presumed mechanism of discomfort. This case report adds to the growing literature of painful LBBB syndrome and its effective treatment with HBP, with the added caveat that it can present with persistent symptoms at rest, in the setting of enhanced anxiety. HBP should be considered early on in the treatment of such patients.