[QT prolongation and induction of torsades de pointe by flecainide. Apropos of a case].

The authors report the case of a 68-year old woman treated since 1986 with flecaïnide acetate for atrial disease. She was admitted to hospital in January 1988 for syncopes due to torsades de pointe. The QTc interval reached 0.68 s without change in QRS duration. After flecaïnide was discontinued and water and salts disorders were corrected, the QTc interval returned to normal. Prolongation of QT under flecaïnide is exceptional, and to our knowledge the occurrence of torsades de pointe has not previously been reported with this drug.