title: [Dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to idiopathic hypoparathyroidism in adults. Description of a case].
abstract: The authors report the clinical history of a 56-year-old man with cardiomyopathy due to undiagnosed hypocalcemia. Heart dilation and hypokinesia were assessed by echocardiography. Cardiac failure was refractory to digitalis preparations and to diuretics. The restoration of serum calcium to normal levels obtained with adequate therapy dramatically improved the motion of ventricular walls and decreased the size of the left ventricle. The pathogenetic mechanisms of hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy are discussed and the importance of considering the possibility of hypocalcemia when dealing with the differential diagnosis of cardiomyopathies is underlined. In the presence of hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy, the correction of calcium deficiency with calcitriol is the treatment of choice.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica medica generale e Terapia medica, Università, Siena.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Palazzuoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giovani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondillo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giusti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Arpino
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ricci
mesh_terms: D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000150:complications; D007011:Hypoparathyroidism / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
vernacular_title: Miocardiopatia dilatativa secondaria ad ipoparatiroidismo idiopatico dell'adulto. Descrizione di un caso.