Orgasm induced torsades de pointes in a patient with a novel mutation with long-QT syndrome type 2: a case report

Congenital long-QT (LQT) syndrome can lead to torsades de pointes (TdP), which can deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation resulting in sudden death. Thus far, more than 16 genes have been linked to the LQT syndrome. We report an orgasm-induced TdP in a patient with LQT syndrome type 2 with a novel mutation in the KCNH2 gene.

A 24-year-old Caucasian woman with a medical history of depression, no medication use and no family history of sudden death, presented with recurrent syncope during sexual activity. Immediately after achieving orgasm during sexual intercourse she lost consciousness. Baseline 12-lead electrocardiogram revealed a wide based T-wave with a prolonged QTc-interval of 507 ms. During hospital admission runs of TdP were recorded. The patient was treated with magnesium, an oral beta-blocker, and an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Genetic testing (Sanger sequencing) revealed a novel mutation (c.361del) in the KCNH2 gene (chromosome 7q36).

To date, orgasm-induced TdP as a first symptom in a patient with LQT2 has not been published previously. In studies with continuous blood sampling in healthy volunteers, large peaks in plasma epinephrine levels during orgasm were observed with fast post-orgasmic decline. However, in a large cohort study (402 patients of which 129 with LQT2), no patients experienced cardiac events during sexual activity, suggesting that these are indeed very rare. Nevertheless, the high levels of sympathetic adrenal hormones during orgasm may explain the timing of the TdP in our patient. The patient has remained free of syncope at 6 months of follow-up.