Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyDiagnostic or prognostic study

Assessment of activation delay in the right ventricular outflow tract as a potential complementary diagnostic tool for Brugada Syndrome

EuropacePublished

  • Diagnostic accuracy study
  • two-phase: cut-off determination and blinded validation

Authors' conclusion

In BrS, the delay in RVOT activation can be identified using a threshold value of 45% above the mean activation time in the anterior-RV for each patient, offering a reliable diagnostic tool when standard ECG method alone falls short.

Study context

Population
Patients with Brugada syndrome and controls undergoing ajmaline infusion and electrocardiographic (ECG) imagingPhase 1 cohort
Participants
57 vs 10
Comparison
Electrocardiographic imaging (ECGi) right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) activation delay threshold in Brugada syndrome (BrS) vs controls
  • BrSn = 57
  • Controlsn = 10reference
Outcome
Diagnostic threshold for BrS from RVOT vs anterior-RV mean activation time on ECGi

Performance

As reported in the abstract

45% increase in anterior-RV ATm as predictor of delayed RVOT activation (Phase 1)

AUC

0.97

Accuracy

0.92

F-score

0.95

Further findings

OutcomeBrSControls
Blinded validation (Phase 2)
increase <45%Not reported in the abstract7 out of 7
  • Blinded validation (Phase 2): Pattern-concealed 11 out of 20 events · accuracy 67%
  • Blinded validation (Phase 2): Pattern-positive 19 out of 20 events · accuracy 96%

RVOT activation time (ATm), controls vs BrS (concealed; manifested Pattern 1) (Phase 1)

Controls vs concealed BrS
3 721 ± 6.23 vs. 68.33 ± 14.73 ms, P < 0.001
Controls vs manifested BrS
37.21 ± 6.23 vs. 107.57 ± 21.16 ms, P < 0.001

Right bundle branch block (RBBB) patients

ATm delay cut-off reached only with concomitant BrS

Original publication

Assessment of activation delay in the right ventricular outflow tract as a potential complementary diagnostic tool for Brugada Syndrome. Europace. Published 13 June 2025. doi:10.1093/europace/euaf093

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it