Cardiomyopathy presenting as severe fatigue in a person with chronic spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To describe a case of fatigue associated with cardiomyopathy in a man with spinal cord injury.


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
An obese 35-year-old man with long-term ASIA A L2 paraplegia, accompanied by a 2-year history of progressive severe fatigue.


METHODS
Physical examination showed obesity, hypertension, tachycardia, and pitting edema. An echocardiogram showed a 20% ejection fraction, severe dilation, and global hypokinesis in the left ventricle and mild to moderate mitral regurgitation.


RESULTS
Symptoms improved after treatment with furosemide, warfarin, ramipril, and continuous positive airway pressure for obstructive sleep apnea.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe progressive fatigue in a patient with chronic SCI may signal cardiomyopathy. Diagnostic studies may be warranted in patients with progressive fatigue.
Kam
Alice
A
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Sankaran
Rajini
R
Gowda
Kempe
K
Linassi
Gary
G
Shan
Rodney Li Pi
RL
D000328:Adult; D015862:Choroid Diseases; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*