Syncope is a common problem of internal medicine. It may be caused by a benign condition

but may also be a sign of a serious

life-threatening illness. In recent years

significant progress in the management of syncope has been made.  This was not an easy task because

unlike with the other guidelines on specific illnesses

syncope is a symptom and not a disease itself. Therefore recognizing the causal diagnosis

assessing prognostic implications and developing appropriate strategies for prevention of future episodes are of great importance.