Successful heart failure therapy in mitochondrial disorder with noncompaction cardiomyopathy

Effective heart failure therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers in a patient with mitochondrial disorder and asymptomatic previously stable hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular noncompaction (NCCMP) has not been reported.

In a 58-year-old male with juvenile seizures, impaired hearing, recurrent pancreatitis, diabetes, recurrent emesis and diarrhea, discrete weakness for hip flexion, general wasting, and reduced tendon reflexes, elevated muscle-enzymes, abnormal lactate-stress-test, and mitochondrial dysfunction on muscle biopsy, mitochondrial disorder was diagnosed at age 51 year. Echocardiography revealed myocardial thickening and NCCMP. Cardiac abnormalities did not progress upon repeated follow-ups. At age 57 year he developed acute heart failure during respiratory infection. Echocardiography additionally revealed reduced left ventricular systolic function, and a restrictive filling pattern. Within seven weeks of therapy with ramipril (2.5 mg/day) and bisoprolol (1.25 mg/day) the restrictive filling pattern disappeared and fractional shortening normalized.

This case shows that heart failure in a patient with mitochondrial disorder and previously stable hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and NCCMP promptly resolves under therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and beta-blockers.