J Korean Soc Endocrinol.  1999 Sep;14(3):587-591.

A Case of Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis Presenting as Ventricular Tachycardia

• Ryu WS
• Lee SM
• Sim SJ
• Lee DW
• Han JD
• Chung EA
• Song IK
• Choi HW
• Cha DY
• Park IB

Abstract

sociated with hyperthyroidism occurs in 2.0% of Graves disease and is characterized by myasthenia or bilateral flaccid paralysis of lower extremity, in some cases, it may be accompanied with cardiac arrhythmias which are mostly due to hypokalemia. The most common type of cardiac arrhythmias associated with hyperthyroidism is sinus tachycardia, 1015% of patients have atrial fibrillation. Rarely, ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation develop and lead to cardiac arrest in severe case. A 26-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of weakness of lower extremity. The initial EKG showed ventricular tachycardia. The laboratory results were, TSH 0.08 microunit/mL, free T4 4.11 ng/mL, T3 2.88 ng/mL, serum K 1.9 mEq/L. He was diagnosed as ventricular tachycardia associated with hypokalemic thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. His symptoms improved during the treatment with propylthiouracil and potassium replacement. We report a case of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis presenting as ventricular tachycardia with brief review of literatures.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Arrhythmias, Cardiac
Atrial Fibrillation
Electrocardiography
Graves Disease
Heart Arrest
Humans
Hyperthyroidism
Hypokalemia
Lower Extremity
Paralysis*
Potassium
Propylthiouracil
Tachycardia, Sinus
Tachycardia, Ventricular*
Ventricular Fibrillation
Potassium
Propylthiouracil