Fatty infiltration of right ventricle (adipositas cordis): an unrecognized cause of early graft failure after cardiac transplantation.
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.
Krishnamani
Rajan
R
Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Nawgiri
Ranjana S
RS
Konstam
Marvin A
MA
Warner
Kenneth G
KG
Salomon
Robert N
RN
DeNofrio
David
D
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*