Implantable cardioverter defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death in a patient with systemic sclerosis: A clinical case

Ventricular arrhythmias are frequent in patients with systemic sclerosis and may result in sudden cardiac death. We report the case of a patient with systemic sclerosis and recent syncopes in whom induction of unstable sustained ventricular tachycardia of 2 different morphologies accompanied by syncopal event was demonstrated at the electrophysiological study. He was then implanted a 3rd generation implantable cardioverter defibrillator and remained thereafter asymptomatic. We suggest that aggressive testing is warranted in systemic sclerosis patients with suspected malignant arrhythmias to identify candidates for defibrillator implantation and prevent sudden deaths.