title: Fatty infiltration of right ventricle (adipositas cordis): an unrecognized cause of early graft failure after cardiac transplantation.
abstract: Fatty infiltration of the right ventricle is usually an incidental finding at post-mortem, but may have clinical significance at times of physiologic stress. We report a case of fatal right ventricular dysfunction immediately after cardiac transplantation secondary to massive fatty infiltration of the donor right ventricle. Ante-mortem diagnosis of fatty infiltration may be difficult to determine despite non-invasive cardiac evaluation. If the diagnosis of fatty infiltration is suspected at time of donor harvest, the relative risks and benefits of proceeding with transplantation should be carefully assessed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
authors.forename: Rajan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krishnamani
authors.forename: Ranjana S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Nawgiri
authors.forename: Marvin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Konstam
authors.forename: Kenneth G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DeNofrio
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012086:Reoperation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*