The authors report the case of a 67-year-old woman, with mitral valve
prolapse, for more than 20 years. She recently complained of attacks o
f syncope and clinical ventricular tachycardia; ventricular fibrillati
on was induced during programmed stimulation. The patient seemed to be
at high risk for sudden cardiac death, and was therefore treated with
an automatic implantable defibrillator. The pathophysiology and risk
factors of sudden cardiac death in mitral valve prolapse are discussed
.