Adult vasovagal syncope with abdominal pain diagnosed by head-up tilt combined with transcranial doppler: a preliminary study

TL;DR

This study shows that abdominal pain can precede vasovagal syncope in adults and can be diagnosed using head-up tilt and transcranial Doppler.

Contribution

The study highlights abdominal pain as a rare but important precursor to vasovagal syncope in adults and introduces a diagnostic approach using multimodal detection.

Findings

Abdominal pain can precede vasovagal syncope in adults and may be linked to sympathetic overdrive.

Synchronous multimodal detection using head-up tilt and transcranial Doppler improves diagnosis of vasovagal syncope.

Prompt recognition of abdominal pain as a precursor can aid in treatment decisions and prevent syncope-related incidents.

Abstract

Syncope is a common condition that increases the risk of injury and reduces the quality of life. Abdominal pain as a precursor to vasovagal syncope (VVS) in adults is rarely reported and is often misdiagnosed.​.

We present three adult patients with VVS and presyncopal abdominal pain diagnosed by synchronous multimodal detection (transcranial Doppler [TCD] with head-up tilt [HUT]) and discuss the relevant literature.

Case 1: A 52-year-old man presented with recurrent decreased consciousness preceded by six months of abdominal pain. Physical examinations were unremarkable. Dynamic electrocardiography, echocardiography, head and neck computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and video electroencephalogram showed no abnormalities. Case 2: A 57-year-old woman presented with recurrent syncope for 30 + years, accompanied by abdominal pain. Physical examination, electroencephalography, and MRI showed no abnormalities. Echocardiography showed large right-to-left shunts. Case 3: A 30-year-old woman presented with recurrent syncope for 10 + years, with abdominal pain as a precursor. Physical examination, laboratory analysis, head computed tomography, electrocardiography, and echocardiography showed no abnormalities. Syncope secondary to abdominal pain was reproduced during HUT. Further, HUT revealed vasovagal syncope, and synchronous TCD showed decreased cerebral blood flow; the final diagnosis was VVS in all cases.

Abdominal pain may be a precursor of VVS in adults, and our findings enrich the clinical phenotypic spectrum of VVS. Prompt recognition of syncopal precursors is important to prevent incidents and assist in treatment decision-making. Abdominal pain in VVS may be a sign of sympathetic overdrive. Synchronous multimodal detection can help in diagnosing VVS and understanding hemodynamic mechanisms.

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