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Heart failure due to primary hypothyroidism. Case report and review
Jorge Curotto-Grasiosi1, Carlos Parquet1, Bruno Peressotti1
1Hospital Militar Central, Unidad de Insuficiencia Cardiaca, Servicio de Cardiología, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Insights
Primary hypothyroidism can cause dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction. This case highlights the importance of considering thyroid dysfunction in heart failure diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Endocrinology
- Thyroidology
Background:
- Thyroid hormones significantly impact cardiovascular function, influencing hemodynamics and cardiac gene expression.
- Established links exist between thyroid hormones and the heart and peripheral vascular systems.
Observation:
- A 64-year-old woman presented with dilated cardiomyopathy and reduced ejection fraction.
- Coronary artery disease was initially suspected as the primary cause based on clinical history.
Findings:
- Extensive diagnostic workup, including cinecoronariography and cardiac MRI, ruled out other etiologies.
- The patient's condition was ultimately attributed to primary hypothyroidism.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical role of thyroid function in maintaining cardiac health.
- Undiagnosed hypothyroidism should be considered in the differential diagnosis of heart failure.
- Proper diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders can potentially improve cardiac outcomes.
Background:
There are well-recognized relationships between thyroid hormones, heart and peripheral vascular system. Thyroid hormones have relevant actions on the heart and circulation, generate multiple effects including hemodynamic changes and exert mediated effects on cardiac cells through gene expression.
Clinical Case:
We present a 64-year-old woman with diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy with reduced ejection fraction, in whom coronary disease was thought of as the most probable etiology by clinical antecedents but in the evolution, other possible etiologies were to appear.
Conclusions:
Numerous complementary diagnostic studies were carried out, such as cinecoronariography, cardiac nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, laboratory analysis, to name a few, and it was concluded that the etiological cause was due to primary hypothyroidism.
