Long QT syndrome is associated with lethal tachyarrhythmia that can lead to syncope, seizure, and sudden death. Congenital long QT syndrome is a genetic disorder, characterized by delayed cardiac repolarization and prolongation of the QT interval on the electrocardiogram (ECG). Type 2 congenital long QT is linked to mutations in the human ether a go-go-related gene (HERG). There are environmental triggers of adverse cardiac events such as emotional and acoustic stimuli, but fever can also be a potential trigger of life-threatening arrhythmias in long QT syndrome type 2 patients. Herein, we report a healthy young man who experienced fever-induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and QT interval prolongation.
Adult ; Electrocardiography ; Fever/*complications ; Humans ; Long QT Syndrome/*diagnosis/*etiology ; Male ; Ventricular Fibrillation/*diagnosis/*etiology

PURPOSE: In some patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), multiple episodes of electrical storm (ES) can occur. We assessed the prevalence, features, and predictors of ES in patients with ICD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-five patients with an ICD were analyzed. ES was defined as the occurrence of two or more ventricular tachyarrhythmias within 24 hours. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients experienced at least one ES episode, and 16 patients experienced two or more ES episodes. The first ES occurred 209 +/- 277 days after ICD implantation. In most ES cases, the index arrhythmia was ventricular tachycardia (65%). There were no obvious etiologic factors at the onset of most ES episodes (57%). More patients with a structurally normal heart (p = 0.043) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) as the index arrhythmia (p = 0.017) were in the ES-free group. Kaplan-Meier estimates and a log-rank test showed that patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) (log-rank test, p = 0.016) or with left ventricular ejection fraction < 35% (p = 0.032) were more likely to experience ES, and that patients with VF (p = 0.047) were less affected by ES. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that nonischemic DCMP correlated with a greater probability of ES (hazard ratio, 3.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-11.85; p = 0.027). CONCLUSION: ES is a common and recurrent event in patients with an ICD. Nonischemic DCMP is an independent predictor of ES. Patients with VF or with a structurally normal heart are less likely to experience ES.
Adult ; Aged ; Defibrillators, Implantable/*adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tachycardia, Ventricular/*diagnosis/etiology ; Ventricular Fibrillation/*diagnosis/etiology

A 53-year-old woman was referred for ventricular fibrillation with resuscitation. A CT-angiography showed signs of a right ventricular enlargement without obvious cause. A cardiac MRI demonstrated a dilated and hypokinetic right ventricle with extensive late gadolinium enhancement. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) was suspected according to the "revised ARVD task force criteria". An endomyocardial biopsy was inconclusive. The patient developed purulent pericarditis after epicardial ablation therapy and died of toxic shock syndrome. The post-mortem pathologic examination demonstrated sarcoidosis involving the heart, lungs, and thyroid gland.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/*diagnosis ; Female ; Heart Ventricles/pathology ; Humans ; Lung/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Myocardium/pathology ; Sarcoidosis/*diagnosis ; Thyroid Gland/pathology ; Ventricular Fibrillation/diagnosis/*etiology

OBJECTIVEWe retrospectively analyzed the causes, diagnosis, clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of 17 patients with rhabdomyolysis.

METHODSRhabdomyolysis cases diagnosed from January 2005 to March 2014 in our department were included.

RESULTSA total of 17 rhabdomyolysis patients (male 13, mean age (60.4 ± 15.7) years) were analyzed.Four cases had coronary heart disease combined with hypertension, hyperlipaemia, atrial fibrillation, 10 cases had dilated cardiomyopathy combined with coronary heart disease, hyperlipaemia, atrial fibrillation, 8 cases had atrial fibrillation combined with hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipaemia, 1 patient had pulmonary embolism combined with hyperlipaemia, 1 patient had aortic dissection combined with hypertension, 10 hypertension patients were combined with coronary heart disease, hyperlipaemia, atrial fibrillation, aortic dissection and 1 patient with ventricular tachycardia was combined with depression.Various degrees of liver and kidney dysfunction, reduced hemoglobin and myoglobinuria were found in all patients.Fever was found in 7 cases, relevant neurological signs in 5 cases. Digestive tract discomfort and muscle weakness or muscle pain symptoms were seen in all patients during hospitalization. All cases underwent renal replacement therapy and respirator was used in 14 patients to support breathing. Post therapy, 10 cases improved but 7 cases died. All 17 patients had history of statin use.

CONCLUSIONStatin may be the major cause of rhabdomyolysis in these patients, and the mortality of rhabdomyolysis is high despite various therapy stratigies.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Fibrillation ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors ; adverse effects ; Hypertension ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyolysis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; pathology ; therapy ; Tachycardia, Ventricular