title: [Hypocalcemia as a reversible cause of heart failure].
abstract: Calcium plays a key role in heart muscle contraction and relaxation. Hypocalcemic heart failure is a rare and potentially reversible disturbance, which reflects this intrinsic relationship. The authors present the case of a 35-year-old woman who developed acute heart failure during the early postoperative period following total thyroidectomy. The echocardiogram showed severe global left ventricular dysfunction. Laboratory tests showed severe hypocalcemia and new-onset hypoparathyroidism. Cardiac catheterization showed angiographically normal coronary arteries. After clinical, hemodynamic and metabolic stabilization, a repeat echocardiogram revealed recovery of left ventricular function. Subsequently, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed, which also showed no alterations. The patient was discharged asymptomatic, medicated with calcium carbonate, calcitriol and levothyroxine. This case highlights the importance of considering hypocalcemia as a cause of reversible myocardial dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital de S. João, Porto, Portugal. inesrang@gmail.com
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Sousa
authors.forename: Pedro Bernardo
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campelo
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pinho
authors.forename: M Júlia
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Maciel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000150:complications*