CASE REPORTS   

Minerva Pediatrica 2015 April;67(2):199-202

Copyright © 2015 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Left ventricular non-compaction progression to dilated cardiomyopathy following acute myocarditis in an early infant twin

Cho H. J., Ma J. S. ✉

Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC), previously termed “spongy myocardium”, is an abnormal interruption of myocardial compaction in early embryogenesis. It is now considered to be an important etiology of pediatric cardiomyopathy. Here, we report a case of 3-month-old twins with acute viral myocarditis, in which one of the twins, who had LVNC that progressed rapidly to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) even after maximal medical therapy. The twin without LVNC recovered almost completely after supportive medical therapy. Although several reports have suggested that genetic abnormalities are associated with this disease, genetic research is needed to confirm this. This is the first report of LVNC in twins at 3 months of age who developed DCMP following acute fulminant myocarditis. In addition, this report highlights the fact that LVNC can be an important cause of DCMP, which can be rapidly aggravated after acute viral myocarditis during early infancy.