Successful reversal by chelation therapy of congestive cardiomyopathy due to iron overload.
A patient who developed severe iron overload cardiomyopathy is described. Venesection could not be performed because the patient had chronic anemia. Deferoxamine mesylate, a chelating agent, was administered daily for more than 2 years and produced significant improvement in ventricular function which was associated with a biopsy-proven decrease in myocardial iron stores. This is the first reported case in which a severe cardiomyopathy due to iron overload was reversed by chelation therapy alone.
D000328:Adult; D000748:Anemia, Macrocytic / Q000150:complications*; D000749:Anemia, Megaloblastic / Q000150:complications*; D003676:Deferoxamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D004452:Echocardiography; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male
D007501:Iron; D003676:Deferoxamine