title: Improvement in the severity of mitral regurgitation after direct intramyocardial injection of angiogenic cell precursor.
abstract: We reported a case of dilated cardiomyopathy and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation (MR) who we treated by surgical direct intramyocardial angiogenic cell precursors injection. The patient was a New York Heart Association functional class III-IV, 56 year old man, who presented with end-stage congestive heart failure, moderate/severe mitral regurgitation, and myocardial fibrosis with the left ventricular ejection fraction of 13%. After he underwent direct surgical intramyocardial cell implantation, the myocardial fibrosis was resolved at 3 months follow-up. The severity of MR reduced to moderate and mild at 3 and 9 months, respectively. The left ventricular function gradually improved up to 53% at 19 months. To our knowledge, this is one of the only reports of successful direct surgical intramyocardial peripheral blood stem cell implantation to treat MR in dilated cardiomyopathy patient.
authors.affiliation: From the *Departments of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery and †Cardiac Imaging, Bangkok Heart Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Kitipan V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Arom
authors.forename: Permyos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruengsakulrach
authors.forename: Lertlak
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chaothawee