title: Malignant ventricular arrhythmia in systemic sclerosis controlled with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
abstract: The prognosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is poor, and a significant number of patients suffer sudden death, probably related to malignant ventricular arrhythmias for which there is no reliable drug treatment. We describe a patient with SSc who had 2 documented episodes of ventricular fibrillation, that reverted after electrical defibrillation. An electrophysiological study performed after 3 weeks of oral loading with amiodarone 1200 mg/day, demonstrated the induction of unstable sustained syncopal ventricular tachycardia. She has been successfully controlled with the implant of a 3rd generation implantable cardioverter defibrillator. We suggest that this treatment should be seriously considered in those patients with SSc and malignant ventricular arrhythmias unresponsive to drug therapy.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division, Hospital Universitario M. Valdecilla, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martinez-Taboada
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olalla
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Armona
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sueiro
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Valverde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy