Life-threatening ventricular tachycardia as the presenting symptom of metastatic cardiac disease.

We present 2 cases in whom repetitive rapid ventricular tachycardia (VT) was the initial manifestation of metastatic cardiac disease. In one patient, repetitive VT appeared during chemotherapy for stage IV paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma which led to the diagnosis of cardiac metastases. In the other, it led to the diagnosis of malignant pericardial effusion 17 years after successful therapy for a breast carcinoma. In conclusion, in patients with present or past history of malignancy, the appearance of life-threatening VT should raise the suspicion of cardiac metastases.