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Infants with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypocalcemia

Debmalya Sanyal1, Moutusi Raychaudhuri

  • 1Department of Endocrinology, KPC Medical College and RTIICS, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism
|November 20, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Hypocalcemia, a rare condition, can cause dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure in infants. Supplementation with vitamin D and calcium effectively treated these infants, reversing their cardiac symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and congestive heart failure are serious conditions in infants.
  • Hypocalcemia is a recognized but rare cause of cardiac dysfunction.
  • Few cases of hypocalcemia-induced DCM in infants have been reported.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report on a cohort of infants presenting with DCM and congestive heart failure due to hypocalcemia.
  • To highlight vitamin D deficiency as the underlying cause of hypocalcemia in these cases.
  • To demonstrate the efficacy of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in treating this condition.

Main Methods:

  • Case series describing 12 infants with DCM and congestive heart failure.
  • Diagnostic workup included assessment for hypocalcemia.
  • Etiological investigation identified vitamin D deficiency as the cause of hypocalcemia.

Main Results:

  • All 12 infants presented with symptoms of DCM and congestive heart failure.
  • Hypocalcemia was diagnosed in all infants.
  • Vitamin D deficiency was identified as the cause of hypocalcemia in all cases.
  • Infants showed significant clinical improvement following supplementation with vitamin D and calcium.

Conclusions:

  • Hypocalcemia, particularly due to vitamin D deficiency, is a potentially reversible cause of DCM and heart failure in infants.
  • Prompt diagnosis and treatment with calcium and vitamin D can lead to recovery of cardiac function.
  • This underscores the importance of considering metabolic causes in pediatric heart failure.

Keywords:
Dilated cardiomyopathyhypocalcaemiavitamin D deficiency

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