[Hypocalcemia causing heart failure]

A 39-year-old female patient with refractory heart failure has been studied. On February, 1982 she was submitted to right lobar thyroidectomy for remotion of the left thyroid lobe. Following the surgery, she had signs of hypocalcemia and the diagnosis of secondary hypoparathyroidism and heart failure had been made. Seven months after she had acute pulmonary edema, cardiomegaly III (cardiothoracic index = 0.58) with predominant left atrial and left ventricular hypertrophy, which were confirmed by echocardiogram (ECO). The ECO also demonstrated low contractility of the left ventricle. The QT interval was increased on the electrocardiogram (QTc = 0.50 s), the calcium was 5.0 mg/dl with calciuria of 28 mg/day; phosphatemia was 4.8 mg/dl and phosphaturia of 214 mg/day. The level of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) were in the normal ranges despite the TSH was increased in the beginning of the disease. She was first treated with digitalis, diuretic and vasodilator drugs, thyroid hormone and oral calcium. She had progressive hemodynamic improvement when higher doses of calcium were given with D3 vitamin. The most significant result of this treatment was reduction of the heart size that come back to normal. At the present time patient is treated with thyroid hormone, calcium and D3 vitamin only.