Brugada syndrome is an inherited cardiac channelopathy and primary electrical disease characterized by a type 1 coved ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads together with risk of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, syncope, and sudden cardiac death in structurally normal hearts. This entry treats Brugada syndrome as the inherited arrhythmia root rather than mirroring long QT syndrome subtype framing. SCN5A-related Brugada syndrome is the best-supported monogenic subtype, whereas most clinically confirmed cases remain genotype-negative or genetically unresolved and many reported non-SCN5A genes remain candidate or disputed.
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name: Brugada syndrome
creation_date: '2026-04-14T00:00:00Z'
updated_date: '2026-04-14T09:01:46Z'
description: >-
Brugada syndrome is an inherited cardiac channelopathy and primary electrical
disease characterized by a type 1 coved ST-segment elevation in the right
precordial leads together with risk of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia,
ventricular fibrillation, syncope, and sudden cardiac death in structurally
normal hearts. This entry treats Brugada syndrome as the inherited arrhythmia
root rather than mirroring long QT syndrome subtype framing. SCN5A-related
Brugada syndrome is the best-supported monogenic subtype, whereas most
clinically confirmed cases remain genotype-negative or genetically unresolved
and many reported non-SCN5A genes remain candidate or disputed.
synonyms:
- BrS
category: Genetic
disease_term:
preferred_term: Brugada syndrome
term:
id: MONDO:0015263
label: Brugada syndrome
mappings:
mondo_mappings:
- term:
id: MONDO:0015263
label: Brugada syndrome
mapping_predicate: skos:exactMatch
mapping_source: MONDO
mapping_justification: Primary MONDO disease identifier for this Brugada syndrome root entry.
parents:
- Cardiac Arrhythmia
- Channelopathy
classifications:
channelopathy_category:
classification_value: cardiac channelopathy
has_subtypes:
- name: SCN5A-related Brugada syndrome
subtype_term:
preferred_term: SCN5A-related Brugada syndrome
term:
id: MONDO:0011001
label: Brugada syndrome 1
description: >-
Best-supported monogenic Brugada subtype. Pathogenic SCN5A variants reduce
NaV1.5-mediated inward sodium current, causing a depolarization-predominant
Brugada phenotype with characteristic right-precordial ST elevation and
ventricular arrhythmia risk. This subtype accounts for only a minority of
clinically diagnosed Brugada syndrome but remains the dominant
high-confidence gene-disease association.
genes:
- preferred_term: SCN5A
term:
id: hgnc:10593
label: SCN5A
evidence:
- reference: PMID:35004896
reference_title: "The Mechanism of Ajmaline and Thus Brugada Syndrome: Not Only the Sodium Channel!"
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "However, pathogenic rare variants in SCN5A are identified in only 20-30% of cases, and recent data indicates that SCN5A variants are actually, in many cases, prognostic rather than diagnostic, resulting in a more severe phenotype."
explanation: Supports SCN5A as the major established monogenic subtype while emphasizing that it explains only a minority of clinically diagnosed Brugada syndrome.
- reference: PMID:33797273
reference_title: Single-cell transcriptomics trajectory and molecular convergence of clinically relevant mutations in Brugada syndrome.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: COMPUTATIONAL
snippet: "We observed an over-representation of clinically relevant mutations (∼80%) in SCN5A gene and also identified several candidate genes, including GPD1L, TRPM4, and SCN10A."
explanation: Shows that SCN5A dominates the curated high-confidence variant landscape within Brugada syndrome while other genes remain secondary candidates.
- name: Oligogenic Brugada syndrome
display_name: Genotype-negative or oligogenic Brugada syndrome
description: >-
Majority stratum of clinically diagnosed Brugada syndrome in which no
single definitive monogenic cause is identified. Current evidence supports a
heterogeneous architecture involving unresolved rare variation, common
variant burden, and multiple non-SCN5A candidate genes that should not be
promoted to standalone disease roots without stronger evidence.
evidence:
- reference: PMID:32121523
reference_title: "Brugada Syndrome: Oligogenic or Mendelian Disease?"
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "Although BrS is considered a genetic disease, its molecular mechanism remains elusive in about 70-85% of clinically-confirmed cases."
explanation: Establishes that most clinically confirmed Brugada syndrome remains genetically unresolved.
- reference: PMID:32121523
reference_title: "Brugada Syndrome: Oligogenic or Mendelian Disease?"
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "Variants occurring in at least 26 different genes have been previously considered causative, although the causative effect of all but the SCN5A gene has been recently challenged, due to the lack of systematic, evidence-based evaluations, such as a variant's frequency among the general population, family segregation analyses, and functional studies."
explanation: Supports treating non-SCN5A Brugada genes as unresolved or disputed heterogeneity rather than as established monogenic roots.
pathophysiology:
- name: Reduced Depolarization Reserve
description: >-
Brugada syndrome converges on reduced depolarizing reserve in ventricular
cardiomyocytes, most often through decreased inward sodium current but also
through broader ion-current imbalance involving calcium and potassium
channel pathways. At the disease level, the key mechanistic theme is not
long-QT-like delayed repolarization alone but reduced inward current and
impaired conduction reserve in the right ventricular substrate.
cell_types:
- preferred_term: right ventricular cardiomyocyte
term:
id: CL:2000046
label: ventricular cardiac muscle cell
biological_processes:
- preferred_term: membrane depolarization during cardiac muscle cell action potential
term:
id: GO:0086012
label: membrane depolarization during cardiac muscle cell action potential
modifier: DECREASED
- preferred_term: cardiac conduction
term:
id: GO:0061337
label: cardiac conduction
modifier: DECREASED
- preferred_term: sodium ion transport
term:
id: GO:0006814
label: sodium ion transport
modifier: DECREASED
locations:
- preferred_term: outflow tract of right ventricle
term:
id: UBERON:0005953
label: outflow part of right ventricle
evidence:
- reference: PMID:33797273
reference_title: Single-cell transcriptomics trajectory and molecular convergence of clinically relevant mutations in Brugada syndrome.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: COMPUTATIONAL
snippet: "Our study suggests that genomic and proteomic hotspots in BrS converge into ion transport pathway and cardiomyocyte as a major BrS-associated cell type that provides insight into the complex genetic etiology of BrS."
explanation: Supports ion-transport dysregulation in cardiomyocytes as the convergent disease-level mechanism across genetically heterogeneous Brugada syndrome.
- reference: PMID:29024690
reference_title: Sodium channel current loss of function in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from a Brugada syndrome patient.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: IN_VITRO
snippet: "Patient-derived iPS-CM showed a 33.1-45.5% reduction in INa density, a shift in both activation and inactivation voltage-dependence curves, and faster recovery from inactivation."
explanation: Directly demonstrates reduced inward sodium current and altered channel gating in a patient-specific SCN5A Brugada cardiomyocyte model.
downstream:
- target: RVOT Conduction Slowing
description: Reduced depolarizing reserve lowers excitation wavelength and promotes localized conduction delay in the right ventricular outflow tract substrate.
- name: RVOT Conduction Slowing
description: >-
Tissue-level Brugada pathophysiology includes delayed depolarization and
conduction dispersion in the right ventricular outflow tract, where reduced
conduction reserve creates the proximate substrate for malignant ventricular
arrhythmia.
cell_types:
- preferred_term: right ventricular cardiomyocyte
term:
id: CL:2000046
label: ventricular cardiac muscle cell
biological_processes:
- preferred_term: cardiac conduction
term:
id: GO:0061337
label: cardiac conduction
modifier: DECREASED
locations:
- preferred_term: outflow tract of right ventricle
term:
id: UBERON:0005953
label: outflow part of right ventricle
evidence:
- reference: PMID:27803673
reference_title: "Electrophysiological Mechanisms of Brugada Syndrome: Insights from Pre-clinical and Clinical Studies."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "These are in keeping with clinical findings of delayed depolarization in the RV outflow tract demonstrated using electroanatomical mapping"
explanation: Supports delayed depolarization and conduction slowing in the RV outflow tract as an atomic tissue-level Brugada mechanism.
downstream:
- target: Current-Load Mismatch at RVOT Substrate
description: Structural discontinuities in the RVOT substrate can convert reduced conduction reserve into excitation failure and conduction block.
- name: Current-Load Mismatch at RVOT Substrate
description: >-
Structural abnormalities in the RV and RVOT increase current-to-load
mismatch and excitation failure, providing a distinct tissue-level
mechanism that can cooperate with conduction slowing to destabilize the
Brugada substrate.
cell_types:
- preferred_term: right ventricular cardiomyocyte
term:
id: CL:2000046
label: ventricular cardiac muscle cell
locations:
- preferred_term: outflow tract of right ventricle
term:
id: UBERON:0005953
label: outflow part of right ventricle
evidence:
- reference: PMID:27803673
reference_title: "Electrophysiological Mechanisms of Brugada Syndrome: Insights from Pre-clinical and Clinical Studies."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "In patients with Brugada syndrome, structural abnormalities are indeed observed in the RV and RVOT, which would increase current-load mismatch and excitation failure"
explanation: Supports current-to-load mismatch and local excitation failure as a distinct RV/RVOT substrate mechanism in Brugada syndrome.
- reference: PMID:27803673
reference_title: "Electrophysiological Mechanisms of Brugada Syndrome: Insights from Pre-clinical and Clinical Studies."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "It was suggested that current-to-load mismatches at discontinuities can cause conduction block."
explanation: Supports current-to-load mismatch at structural discontinuities as a mechanistic source of conduction block in the Brugada substrate.
downstream:
- target: Malignant Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia
description: Excitation failure and conduction block in the RVOT substrate promote reentrant polymorphic VT and VF.
- name: Malignant Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia
description: >-
The clinical consequence of the Brugada substrate is malignant ventricular
tachyarrhythmia, especially polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and
ventricular fibrillation, with syncope or sudden cardiac death as the major
downstream manifestations.
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39896197
reference_title: Brugada syndrome update.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "This condition, identified by Josep and Pedro Brugada, is often marked by symptoms such as syncope and episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF)."
explanation: Defines the characteristic malignant ventricular arrhythmias and their clinical presentation in Brugada syndrome.
- reference: PMID:39896197
reference_title: Brugada syndrome update.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "These arrhythmias, if not managed promptly, can escalate to sudden cardiac death (SCD), notably in patients whose cardiac structure appears normal."
explanation: Links Brugada-associated ventricular tachyarrhythmia directly to sudden cardiac death risk.
phenotypes:
- category: Cardiovascular
name: Type 1 coved ST-segment elevation
diagnostic: true
description: >-
Diagnostic right-precordial type 1 Brugada ECG pattern with coved ST-segment
elevation, spontaneous or sodium-channel-blocker-provoked.
phenotype_term:
preferred_term: Type 1 coved ST-segment elevation
term:
id: HP:6000984
label: Coved type ST segment elevation
evidence:
- reference: PMID:20233789
reference_title: "Number of electrocardiogram leads displaying the diagnostic coved-type pattern in Brugada syndrome: a diagnostic consensus criterion to be revised."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
snippet: "According to the diagnostic consensus criteria, the electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnosis of Brugada syndrome requires coved-type > or =2 mm ST-segment elevation in >1 right precordial lead (RPL) V1-V3 in the presence or absence of a sodium-channel blocker."
explanation: Supports the hallmark diagnostic ECG phenotype for Brugada syndrome.
- category: Cardiovascular
name: Syncope
description: >-
Unexplained syncope due to transient ventricular tachyarrhythmia is a common
symptomatic presentation in clinically recognized Brugada syndrome.
phenotype_term:
preferred_term: Syncope
term:
id: HP:0001279
label: Syncope
evidence:
- reference: PMID:23499630
reference_title: "Prevalence, characteristics, and prognosis role of type 1 ST elevation in the peripheral ECG leads in patients with Brugada syndrome."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
snippet: "Two hundred twenty-five (70%) patients were asymptomatic, 72 (22%) patients presented with unexplained syncope, and 26 (8%) patients presented with sudden death (12 patients) or appropriated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapies (14 patients) at diagnosis or over a mean follow-up of 48 ± 34 months."
explanation: Provides cohort-level evidence that syncope is a common presenting manifestation in Brugada syndrome.
- category: Cardiovascular
name: Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
description: >-
Symptomatic or abortive malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia arising from
the Brugada substrate.
phenotype_term:
preferred_term: polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
term:
id: HP:0031677
label: Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39896197
reference_title: Brugada syndrome update.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "This condition, identified by Josep and Pedro Brugada, is often marked by symptoms such as syncope and episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF)."
explanation: Supports polymorphic ventricular tachycardia as a canonical malignant arrhythmia in Brugada syndrome.
- category: Cardiovascular
name: Ventricular fibrillation
description: >-
Ventricular fibrillation is a defining malignant arrhythmia in Brugada
syndrome and a proximate cause of cardiac arrest.
phenotype_term:
preferred_term: Ventricular fibrillation
term:
id: HP:0001663
label: Ventricular fibrillation
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39896197
reference_title: Brugada syndrome update.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "This condition, identified by Josep and Pedro Brugada, is often marked by symptoms such as syncope and episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF)."
explanation: Supports ventricular fibrillation as a core malignant arrhythmia phenotype in Brugada syndrome.
- category: Cardiovascular
name: Sudden cardiac death
description: >-
Sudden cardiac death occurs when Brugada-associated polymorphic VT or VF is
not promptly terminated.
phenotype_term:
preferred_term: Sudden cardiac death
term:
id: HP:0001645
label: Sudden cardiac death
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39896197
reference_title: Brugada syndrome update.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "These arrhythmias, if not managed promptly, can escalate to sudden cardiac death (SCD), notably in patients whose cardiac structure appears normal."
explanation: Supports sudden cardiac death as the principal life-threatening outcome of Brugada-associated ventricular arrhythmia.
genetic:
- name: SCN5A loss-of-function variants
association: Causative
relationship_type: CAUSATIVE
subtype: SCN5A-related Brugada syndrome
features: >-
SCN5A is the strongest monogenic Brugada gene and defines the classic
NaV1.5 loss-of-function subtype. SCN5A accounts for a minority of all
clinically diagnosed Brugada syndrome but dominates the curated
high-confidence variant literature and often marks a more severe phenotype.
gene_term:
preferred_term: SCN5A
term:
id: hgnc:10593
label: SCN5A
evidence:
- reference: PMID:35004896
reference_title: "The Mechanism of Ajmaline and Thus Brugada Syndrome: Not Only the Sodium Channel!"
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "However, pathogenic rare variants in SCN5A are identified in only 20-30% of cases, and recent data indicates that SCN5A variants are actually, in many cases, prognostic rather than diagnostic, resulting in a more severe phenotype."
explanation: Shows that SCN5A is clinically important but explains only a minority of diagnosed Brugada syndrome, consistent with a root entry plus subtype model.
- reference: PMID:33797273
reference_title: Single-cell transcriptomics trajectory and molecular convergence of clinically relevant mutations in Brugada syndrome.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: COMPUTATIONAL
snippet: "We observed an over-representation of clinically relevant mutations (∼80%) in SCN5A gene and also identified several candidate genes, including GPD1L, TRPM4, and SCN10A."
explanation: Supports SCN5A as the dominant high-confidence gene within the clinically curated Brugada variant landscape.
treatments:
- name: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
description: >-
Device therapy for prevention of sudden cardiac death in high-risk Brugada
syndrome, especially after malignant ventricular arrhythmia, syncope with
high-risk features, or recurrent ventricular fibrillation.
treatment_term:
preferred_term: implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement
term:
id: NCIT:C80435
label: Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Placement
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39800093
reference_title: "Epicardial substrate ablation in patients with symptomatic Brugada syndrome: An updated systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
snippet: "Although implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and quinidine are primary treatments, recurrent BrS-triggered ventricular arrhythmias can persist."
explanation: Supports ICD placement as a primary established treatment in symptomatic or high-risk Brugada syndrome.
- name: Quinidine
description: >-
Quinidine is used as antiarrhythmic pharmacotherapy for suppression of
recurrent ventricular arrhythmia and electrical storm in Brugada syndrome,
particularly when ICD therapy alone is insufficient or when ablation is not
immediately available.
treatment_term:
preferred_term: pharmacotherapy
term:
id: MAXO:0000058
label: pharmacotherapy
therapeutic_agent:
- preferred_term: quinidine
term:
id: CHEBI:28593
label: quinidine
evidence:
- reference: PMID:40750064
reference_title: Theory and practice of present clinical use of Quinidine in the management of cardiac arrhythmias.
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: OTHER
snippet: "Paradoxically, this decline in use occurred alongside accumulating evidence supporting quinidine's therapeutic benefit in managing rare, life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias occurring in patients with no organic heart disease (Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, Early repolarization syndrome, Short QT syndrome, Multifocal ectopic Purkinje-related premature contractions), as well as in those with organic heart disease involving the Purkinje network (acute myocardial infarction and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy)."
explanation: Supports quinidine as a specifically recognized antiarrhythmic option for Brugada syndrome and related idiopathic ventricular fibrillation syndromes.
- name: Epicardial substrate ablation
description: >-
Epicardial ablation of the Brugada arrhythmogenic substrate is an
increasingly used option for symptomatic patients with recurrent BrS-triggered
ventricular arrhythmias despite ICD therapy and/or quinidine.
treatment_term:
preferred_term: epicardial ablation
term:
id: NCIT:C157843
label: Epicardial Ablation
evidence:
- reference: PMID:39800093
reference_title: "Epicardial substrate ablation in patients with symptomatic Brugada syndrome: An updated systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
snippet: "Although implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) and quinidine are primary treatments, recurrent BrS-triggered ventricular arrhythmias can persist. In this setting, epicardial substrate ablation has emerged as a promising alternative for symptomatic patients."
explanation: Supports epicardial substrate ablation as a treatment option for symptomatic patients with recurrent arrhythmias despite standard therapy.
- reference: PMID:39800093
reference_title: "Epicardial substrate ablation in patients with symptomatic Brugada syndrome: An updated systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis."
supports: SUPPORT
evidence_source: HUMAN_CLINICAL
snippet: "Pooled analysis demonstrated resolution of the type 1 pattern in 91% of the cases"
explanation: Supports mechanistic and electrocardiographic efficacy of epicardial substrate ablation in symptomatic Brugada syndrome cohorts.
notes: >-
This entry is curated as the inherited arrhythmia root for Brugada syndrome
rather than as a long-QT-like subtype series. It absorbs the Brugada root and
related gene-specific rows by representing SCN5A-related Brugada syndrome as
the only explicit monogenic subtype while leaving the majority genotype-negative
or oligogenic stratum explicit. In the local 2026-03-28 G2P triage snapshot,
disputed or unresolved non-SCN5A Brugada links exist for ANK2, CACNA2D1,
CACNB2, GPD1L, HCN4, KCND3, KCNE3, KCNH2, KCNJ8, PKP2, RANGRF, SCN10A, SCN2B,
SCN3B, SLMAP, and TRPM4; CACNA1C and SCN1B also appear in non-root or
embedded contexts. Those associations are intentionally handled here as
disease-level heterogeneity rather than promoted to standalone validated
monogenic disease roots.
This report is retrieval-only and is generated directly from Asta results.
search_papers_by_relevance with snippet_search.