Life-threatening ventricular tachycardia due to liquorice-induced hypokalaemia

We report on a patient with hypokalaemia and severe ventricular tachycardia of torsades de pointes type which turned out to be caused by an apparent m ineralocorticoid excess syndrome associated with liquorice consumption. The patient, a 44-year-old woman, attended the hospital because of irregular h eart rhythm and she displayed repeated episodes of life-threatening torsade s de pointes ventricular tachycardia. The initial serum potassium was low: 2.3 mmol L-1. The patient was treated with potassium and magnesium infusion s, and the dysrhythmias eventually ceased. Endocrinological investigations showed no indication of Gushing's syndrome or hyperaldosteronism. After som e time it became dear that the patient had ingested moderately large amount s of liquorice every day for 4 months. After the patient stopped this habit the hypokalaemia and dysrhythmias did not recur and after more than 1 year there are no signs of cardiac illness.