title: Malignant ventricular tachycardia in acromegaly: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with acromegaly, cardiovascular complications are the main cause of death; sudden death has been associated with ventricular tachyarrhythmias. In other patients with life-threatening malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias, surgical placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) has proved highly effective in reducing sudden death rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present article reports the case of a 50-year-old male acromegalic patient who presented symptoms of syncope induced by ventricular tachycardia. An ICD was surgically implanted and a pituitary adenoma, which was responsible for the acromegaly, was completely removed in the same procedure. The surgery was successful and the ventricular arrhythmias were effectively terminated. During six months of follow-up, no documented arrhythmic episodes occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with acromegaly, malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia might be effectively controlled by implantation of an ICD and surgical removal of the pituitary adenoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, China-Japan United Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, China-Japan United Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Yu-quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, China-Japan United Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Guo-hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, China-Japan United Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, China-Japan United Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Wen-qi
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D013575:Syncope / Q000628:therapy; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome