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Cardiac involvement in cystic fibrosis revealed by a ventricular arrhythmia
Insights
Cystic fibrosis (CF) can affect the heart, leading to ventricular arrhythmias in adolescents. This case suggests an infiltrative cardiac process similar to that seen in infants with CF.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cystic fibrosis (CF) commonly involves the lungs, but cardiac complications can occur.
- Cardiac involvement in CF typically presents as acute cardiac failure in infants or cor pulmonale in older children with chronic lung disease.
Observation:
- An adolescent with CF presented with ventricular arrhythmia.
- Diagnostic evaluations including cardiac scans, echocardiograms, and Holter monitoring indicated an infiltrative cardiac process.
Findings:
- The observed ventricular arrhythmia and infiltrative cardiac findings in this adolescent with CF are atypical for older CF patients.
- The presentation suggests a potential similarity to the cardiac involvement seen in infants with CF.
Implications:
- This case highlights the diverse spectrum of cardiac manifestations in cystic fibrosis.
- Further investigation into infiltrative cardiac processes in adolescents with CF may be warranted.
- Understanding these cardiac complications is crucial for comprehensive CF patient management.
Abstract:
Cardiac involvement in cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by acute cardiac failure in the infant with myocardial fibrosis found on pathological examination. In the older child with chronic pulmonary disease, cor pulmonale tends to predominate the clinical picture. We report the case of an adolescent with CF presenting with ventricular arrhythmia. Cardiac scan, repeated echocardiograms and Holter monitoring were suggestive of an infiltrative process. We propose this case to be similar to those of CF in infants with cardiac involvement.