Peripheric stem cell transplantation in children with dilated cardiomyopathy: preliminary report of first two cases

We report two pediatric patients with IDC who underwent autologous PSCT. Both cases were referred to our clinic for cardiac transplantation because of end-stage heart failure resistant to conventional therapy with digoxin, diuretics, ACE inhibitors, and sympathomimetics. They had ejection fractions below 35%. In each case, autologous stem cell transplantation was performed via the coronary arteries, and five wk after the procedure transthoracic echocardiography showed a striking gain in their ejection fractions and an improvement in the left ventricular dimensions compared with the initial measurements. Although heart transplantation is the only option for children with IDC, stem cell transplantation can lessen the waiting list mortality and prolong the time for a patient to wait for a suitable donor.