Sick Sinus Syndrome

The sick sinus syndrome includes symptoms and signs related to sinus node dysfunction. This can be caused by intrinsic abnormal impulse formation and/or propagation from the sinus node or, in some cases, by extrinsic reversible causes. Careful evaluation of symptoms and of the electrocardiogram is of crucial importance, because diagnosis is mainly based on these 2 elements. In some cases, the pathophysiologic mechanism that induces sinus node dysfunction also favors the onset of atrial arrhythmias, which results in a more complex clinical condition, known as “bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome.”