title: Thyrotoxicosis-induced ventricular arrhythmias.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiac arrhythmias associated with thyrotoxicosis tend to be supraventricular in nature with atrial fibrillation being the most common. Ventricular arrhythmias are rarely associated with thyrotoxicosis and are considered to be secondary to intrinsic cardiac disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present three patients with thyrotoxicosis and stable coronary disease in whom the primary cardiac rhythm disturbance was ventricular tachycardia. In all of these patients, the ventricular arrhythmias terminated with achievement of a euthyroid state. We hypothesize that the thyrotoxic state contributed to the etiology of, or lowered the threshold for the ventricular arrhythmias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prompt attention to the management of thyrotoxicosis in patients with a history of significant heart disease is warranted in order to avoid potentially fatal arrhythmias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, District of Columbia 20010, USA. powlimi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Powlimi J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
authors.forename: Meeta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zinsmeister
authors.forename: Leonard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wartofsky
authors.forename: Kenneth D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Burman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000009:adverse effects; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology*; D013971:Thyrotoxicosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*
chemical_list: D000638:Amiodarone