Sudden Cardiac Arrest in a Young Patient With Severe Pectus Excavatum

We report a case of sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of ventricular fibrillation in a previously healthy 19-year-old male. Chest imaging demonstrated severe pectus excavatum with Pectus Severity Index of 22.7. Extensive workup was unrevealing for other cardiopulmonary etiologies, including condu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of the medical sciences 2018-12, Vol.356 (6), p.570-573
Main Authors: Rachwan, Rayan Jo, Purpura, Andrea K., Kahwash, Basil M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator
Pectus excavatum
Sudden cardiac arrest
Ventricular fibrillation
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Summary:We report a case of sudden cardiac arrest in the setting of ventricular fibrillation in a previously healthy 19-year-old male. Chest imaging demonstrated severe pectus excavatum with Pectus Severity Index of 22.7. Extensive workup was unrevealing for other cardiopulmonary etiologies, including conduction and structural abnormalities. The patient was scheduled for a Ravitch procedure and was discharged on a wearable defibrillator vest for temporary protection against ventricular arrhythmias. Later, the patient underwent subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator placement. Sudden cardiac arrest as an initial presentation of pectus excavatum is a rare entity scarcely discussed in medical literature. In this patient-centered focused review, we explore this unique case and offer our management approach amid the lack of concrete guidelines.
ISSN:0002-9629
1538-2990
DOI:10.1016/j.amjms.2018.06.002