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Restrictive cardiomyopathy in a child
Shan-Miao Lin1, Haw-Kwei Hwang, Ming-Ren Chen
1Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Restrictive cardiomyopathy is a rare heart condition in children. This case highlights a typical presentation in an 18-month-old, emphasizing the need for timely diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is uncommon in pediatric populations and often associated with a grim prognosis.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes in affected children.
Observation:
- An 18-month-old female presented with poor feeding and abdominal distension.
- Physical examination revealed hepatomegaly, with normal ventricular size but significant biatrial enlargement on imaging.
- Gastrointestinal evaluation showed no other abnormalities beyond the enlarged liver.
Findings:
- Echocardiography indicated preserved systolic function but notably impaired diastolic function.
- Cardiac catheterization confirmed a characteristic 'dip-and-plateau' pressure waveform in the right ventricle.
- These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of typical restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering RCM in young children with unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiac findings.
- Management involved aspirin therapy while the patient was listed for a potential cardiac transplant.
- Further research into pediatric RCM is warranted to improve diagnostic strategies and therapeutic options.
Abstract:
Restrictive cardiomyopathy in young children is rare and carries a poor prognosis. We report an 18-month-old girl with poor feeding and abdominal distension. Except for hepatomegaly, no other gastrointestinal abnormalities were found. She had normal-sized ventricles but biatrial enlargement. Echocardiography demonstrated normal systolic but impaired diastolic function. Cardiac catheterization revealed a characteristic dip-and-plateau configuration of the right ventricular pressure tracing. The diagnosis turned out to be typical restrictive cardiomyopathy. The patient was maintained on aspirin while awaiting cardiac transplant.
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