Journal Information
Vol. 33. Issue 4.
Pages 251-252 (April 2014)
Visits
6842
Vol. 33. Issue 4.
Pages 251-252 (April 2014)
Image in Cardiology
Open Access
Heart failure in a young adult: A rare cause
Insuficiência cardíaca aguda no adulto jovem - uma causa rara
Visits
6842
Anne Delgado
Corresponding author
anne_delgado@hotmail.com

Corresponding author.
, Davide Moreira, Bruno Marmelo, Miguel Correia, Emanuel Correia, Oliveira Santos
Serviço de Cardiologia, Centro Hospitalar Tondela-Viseu, Viseu, Portugal
This item has received

Under a Creative Commons license
Article information
Full Text
Download PDF
Statistics
Figures (3)
Show moreShow less
Full Text
Case report

A 27-year-old man of disadvantaged socioeconomic status went to the emergency department due to progressively worsening dyspnea on minimum exertion accompanied by lower limb edema. On admission his peripheral oxygen saturation was 80% in room air. Physical examination revealed central cyanosis, digital clubbing, watch-glass nails, and jugular venous distention. Laboratory tests showed hemoglobin 23 g/dl, hematocrit 70%, BNP 3000 pg/ml and hyperuricemia. The chest X-ray revealed cardiomegaly and the ECG documented sinus tachycardia with right axis deviation and right ventricular hypertrophy. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large common vessel (persistent truncus arteriosus) exiting both ventricles (Figure 1) and a single tricuspid valve (Figure 2) with moderate regurgitation; a subvalvular ventricular septal defect (Figure 3) was also visible. The left ventricle was severely dilated with severe global dysfunction, and there was also right ventricular dilatation with impaired global function.

Figure 1.

Large common vessel exiting both ventricles. (A) Subcostal view and (B) parasternal long-axis view. AE: left atrium; TA: truncus arteriosus; VD: right ventricle; VE: left ventricle.

(0.12MB).
Figure 2.

Single tricuspid valve by the left ventricular outflow tract and the left atrium, in parasternal short-axis view. AE: left atrium; Val.: valve; VD: right ventricle.

(0.16MB).
Figure 3.

Subvalvular ventricular septal defect at the level of the plane of the mitral valve leaflets and the tricuspid valve, in parasternal short-axis view. CIV: ventricular septal defect; Val. Mi.: mitral valve; Val. Tri.: tricuspid valve.

(0.13MB).

Three phlebotomies were performed during hospital stay. Signs of congestion were relieved by intravenous diuretics and the patient was discharged after seven days, referred to the adult congenital heart disease clinic at the reference hospital.

Ethical disclosuresProtection of human and animal subjects

The authors declare that no experiments were performed on humans or animals for this study.

Confidentiality of data

The authors declare that they have followed the protocols of their work center on the publication of patient data and that all the patients included in the study received sufficient information and gave their written informed consent to participate in the study.

Right to privacy and informed consent

The authors declare that no patient data appear in this article.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Please cite this article as: Delgado A, Moreira D, Marmelo B, et al. Insuficiência cardíaca aguda no adulto jovem - uma causa rara. Rev Port Cardiol. 2014;33:251–252.

Copyright © 2013. Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia
Idiomas
Revista Portuguesa de Cardiologia (English edition)
Article options
Tools
en pt

Are you a health professional able to prescribe or dispense drugs?

Você é um profissional de saúde habilitado a prescrever ou dispensar medicamentos

By checking that you are a health professional, you are stating that you are aware and accept that the Portuguese Journal of Cardiology (RPC) is the Data Controller that processes the personal information of users of its website, with its registered office at Campo Grande, n.º 28, 13.º, 1700-093 Lisbon, telephone 217 970 685 and 217 817 630, fax 217 931 095, and email revista@spc.pt. I declare for all purposes that the information provided herein is accurate and correct.