Electroconvulsive therapy in a patient with pulmonary aneurysm.
Pulmonary artery aneurysm is a rare abnormality in the cardiovascular system. Electroconvulsive therapy triggers a release of catecholamines, causing a marked and usually transient tachycardia and hypertension, which could increase the risk of aneurysmal rupture. We report a case of a 56-year-old woman with severe depression and an incidental finding of a large left pulmonary artery aneurysm who received 16 treatments of electroconvulsive therapy without adverse effect.
From the *Canterbury District Health Board, Acute Inpatient Service, Hillmorton Hospital †Anaesthetic Department, and ‡Cardiology Department, Canterbury District Health Board; and §Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Nic
N
Pascoe
Hamish
H
Gray
Sally
S
Aldous
Richard
R
Porter
D000783:Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery