title: A life-threatening manifestation of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy.
abstract: A 74-year-old man was referred to hospital for sustained dyspnea. The patient was normotensive (110/70 mmHg) with clinical evidence of congestive heart failure. ECG showed atrial flutter (145 bpm). Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated a mildly dilated left ventricle with severe systolic dysfunction and a big irregular mobile mass, a mildly dilated right ventricle with moderate systolic dysfunction and a large mass protruding into the cavity. The patient was treated surgically for high embolic and sudden death risk after coronarography, which showed a single stenosis (70%) of the left anterior descending coronary. Myocardial biopsy demonstrated interstitial and endocardial fibrosis, no inflammatory pattern. After 6 months of follow-up echocardiography was normal.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Internal Medicine bDepartment of Cardiology cDepartment of Cardiac Surgery dDepartment of Anatomical Pathology, Cattinara Hospital, University of Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerloni
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pinamonti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milo
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benussi
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poletti
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
authors.forename: Rossana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bussani
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sinagra
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001282:Atrial Flutter / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001706:Biopsy; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D017131:Thrombectomy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology