https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2026.14892
Brugada: a diagnosis or a sign?
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Published: 10 April 2026
A 59-year-old man presented with asthenia and dyspnoea. Admission ECG showed a type 1 Brugada pattern in leads V1–V2. The patient had no arrhythmic history and normal cardiac imaging. Laboratory tests revealed severe malignant hypercalcemia with renal dysfunction. After correction of calcium levels, the Brugada-like ECG changes completely resolved, and sodium-channel blocker testing was negative. This case illustrates malignant hypercalcemia as a reversible cause of Brugada phenocopy and underscores the importance of excluding metabolic disturbances before diagnosing Brugada syndrome and initiating risk stratification or device-based therapies.
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The authors contributed equally to the present article.
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