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Irreversible sinus node dysfunction induced by resumption of lithium theram
Author(s) -
Terao T.,
Abe H.,
Abe K.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1996.tb10668.x
Subject(s) - discontinuation , lithium (medication) , sinus (botany) , sick sinus syndrome , abnormality , medicine , node (physics) , lithium therapy , cardiology , surgery , bipolar disorder , psychiatry , biology , botany , structural engineering , engineering , genus
Terao T, Abe H, Abe K. Irreversible sinus node dysfunction induced by resumption of lithium therapy. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1996: 93: 407–408. © Munksgaard 1996. We present the case of a 56‐year‐old woman with syncope and sinus node dysfunction after long‐term lithium therapy. Following lithium discontinuation, sinus node function recovered completely. After resuming low doses of lithium, however, severe sinus node dysfunction recurred. Thereafter, sinus node function did not recover after lithium was discontinued, and a permanent pacemaker was implanted. These findings suggest that irreversible sinus node dysfunction should be recognized as a potentially fatal, albeit rare, risk of lithium therapy, and that previous recovery from sinus node dysfunction after long‐term lithium treatment cannot always guarantee the reversible nature of this abnormality after resumption of lithium therapy.