Atypical ventricular tachycardia (torsade de pointes). A postoperative enigma

Torsade de pointes is an atypical or variant ventricular tachycardia. We report a case of atypical ventricular tachycardia (torsade de pointes) in a patient with severe obstructive lung disease which occurred following surgery. The factors that may precipitate this dysrhythmia often occur in the postoperative period. The correct diagnosis is vital as the treatment for this dysrhythmia differs markedly from the treatment for the more common ventricular tachycardia.