Ando T, Henmi T, Haruta D, Haraguchi A, Ueki I, Horie I, Imaizumi M, Usa T, Maemura K, Kawakami A. Graves' disease complicated by ventricular fibrillation in three men who were smokers.
Thyroid 2011;
21:1021-5. [PMID:
21834672 DOI:
10.1089/thy.2010.0368]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Thyrotoxicosis is known to be associated with sinus tachycardia and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias, but rarely with ventricular fibrillation (Vf), which has only occurred in some patients with hypokalemic periodic paralysis or ischemic heart disease.
PATIENT FINDINGS
We present three men who were transferred to our hospital with Graves' disease who developed idiopathic Vf. None of them had hypokalemic periodic paralysis or ischemic heart disease but all were smokers. None of other patients with thyrotoxicosis (587 females and 155 males) who were seen at our hospital, in the period during which the three men were seen, had idiopathic Vf. In our three men with thyrotoxicosis and idiopathic Vf, there was no identifiable underlying heart disease. One of the three patients died of hypoxic encephalopathy. The other two men did not have recurrent Vf after their thyroid function normalized.
SUMMARY
These cases and a review of similar cases in the literature imply that improving thyrotoxicosis seems to be effective for treating idiopathic Vf in some patients.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that thyroid hormone excess might play a direct role in the development of Vf in susceptible individuals. Our experience with these three patients suggests that smoking men with thyrotoxicosis likely have an increased risk for Vf, even if they do not have other predisposing factors.
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