Key result
ICD placement and radioactive iodine prevent sudden cardiac death in thyroid storm-induced ventricular fibrillation.
Why the study?
Ventricular tachyarrhythmia as the initial presenting sign of thyroid storm had not been previously reported, representing an unusual clinical presentation.
Case Report (n=1)
Case report does not support routine ICD or RAI use in thyroid storm; leaves open efficacy for SCD prevention in larger studies.
A 34-year-old woman was brought to our emergency department because of sudden loss of consciousness. Ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation were noted on electrocardiographic monitoring and reverted to sinus rhythm after repeated defibrillation. She was treated as a case of thyroid storm. Although tachycardia and fever normalized after 2 days, she remained comatose and died. This is an unusual case because the patient's initial presentation was cardiac arrest without previous history of cardiac disease. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case where ventricular tachyarrhythmia was the initial presenting sign of thyroid storm.
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Jao et al. (2004) conducted a case report in Thyroid Storm with Ventricular Fibrillation (n=1). Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and radioactive iodine therapy was evaluated. An implantable cardioverter defibrillator and radioactive iodine therapy successfully prevented sudden cardiac death in a 34-year-old woman presenting with ventricular fibrillation due to thyroid storm.
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