Prevalence of right bundle-branch block and right precordial ST-segment elevation (Brugada-type electrocardiogram) in Japanese children.

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of Brugada-type electrocardiogram (ECG) in schoolchildren remains unclear. This study aimed to further investigate this condition.

METHODS AND

RESULTS

We studied the prevalence of Brugada-type ECG in 20,387 children (10,434 males and 9,953 females, 9.7 +/- 3.2 [SD] years old) during a school health examination in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in 2002. We considered right bundle-branch block and ST-segment elevation of the J point of > or =0.1 mV in leads V1 through V3 as Brugada-like ECG, and an ECG was considered to be Brugada-type when the 12-lead ECG fully meet the criteria for the Brugada syndrome as recently published in a consensus report. Only 2 children (0.0098%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0 to 0.023%) completely conformed to the criteria for Brugada-type ECG. Brugada-like ECG was found in 11 (10 male) of 20,387 children (0.054%, 95% CI: 0.022 to 0.086%). The prevalence in males was significantly higher than that in females, even in children (0.096% vs 0.010%, p=0.012). Stratified according to age, there was tendency for the prevalence of Brugada-like ECG to increase up to puberty (first graders, 0.01%; fourth graders, 0.05%; seventh graders, 0.08%; tenth graders, 0.23%; p=0.068).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of Brugada-type ECG in Japanese children was much lower than that reported in the adult population.