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[Extreme cardiomegaly]
1Department of Pathology, Hegau-Klinikum Singen 78207 Singen, Germany.
Insights
A 65-year-old male with extreme heart enlargement experienced bleeding from esophageal varices, successfully treated. He later died from a recent myocardial infarction, highlighting rare cardiac hypertrophy associations.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pathology
Background:
- Extreme cardiomegaly, or abnormally enlarged heart, is a rare condition with various documented causes.
- Literature review indicates rheumatic myocarditis and syphilitic aortitis as primary historical contributors to cardiac hypertrophy.
Observation:
- A 65-year-old male presented with acute bleeding from gastric varices secondary to extreme cardiomegaly (heart weight 1350g).
- Endoscopic treatment for bleeding was successful, but the patient died two weeks later.
- Autopsy revealed multiple coronary bypasses and a recent myocardial infarction.
Findings:
- The case presents a unique combination of extreme cardiac enlargement, multiple coronary bypasses, and recent myocardial infarction in an elderly patient.
- This specific clinical presentation has not been previously described in medical literature.
Implications:
- This case underscores the complex pathophysiology of extreme cardiomegaly and its potential associations with ischemic heart disease.
- Further research may elucidate the interplay between pre-existing cardiac conditions and the development of extreme cardiac hypertrophy.
Abstract:
We report the case of 65 year old male patient with extreme heart enlargement. The patient was admitted to the hospital due to acute bleeding from varicose veins of the cardia. The endoscopic treatment by means of hemostatic clips and fibrine was successful. However the patient died two weeks later without having any complaints. The heart of the patient weighed 1350 g. Multiple coronary bypasses were found. There was also a recent myocardial infarction. The adoptive pathophysiologic changes accompanying extreme cardiomegaly are discussed. Numerous cases have been recorded of unusually large hearts, which in a few instances have even exceeded the one reported here. The analysis of observations reported in the literature reveals that rheumatic myocarditis and syphilitic aortitis were responsible for the majority of cases with extreme cardiac hypertrophy. Valvular deformities were also frequent findings. The occurrence of extreme cardiac enlargement in an elderly patient associated with multiple coronary bypasses has been not described so far.