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Published on: June 7, 2018
[Dilated cardiomyopathy in infants and children]
L Pérez Díaz1, N Abasolo Olivares, A Nieves Gil
1Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Txagorritxu de Vitoria.
Insights
Dilated cardiomyopathy in infants can resolve spontaneously, but some require cardiac transplants. Individual assessment is crucial for transplant timing in young children with this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in infants presents unique challenges.
- Early-onset DCM requires careful long-term monitoring and management strategies.
Observation:
- Reported are three cases of DCM presenting at 2, 5, and 13 months of age.
- Detailed clinical, radiographic, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and angiocardiographic data were analyzed.
- Long-term follow-up (11, 14, and 16 years) revealed varied outcomes.
Findings:
- Two of the three pediatric patients spontaneously recovered normal cardiac function after several years.
- One patient, diagnosed before age 2, underwent successful cardiac transplantation at age 9 and remains healthy.
- Congestive heart failure was a key risk criterion influencing management decisions.
Implications:
- For infants with dilated cardiomyopathy, especially those diagnosed before age 2, transplant indications and timing demand individualized case evaluation.
- Continuous monitoring of risk factors, particularly congestive heart failure, is essential for optimizing treatment strategies.
- This study highlights the potential for recovery in some young DCM patients while underscoring the critical role of personalized care and timely intervention when necessary.
Abstract:
Three cases of dilated cardiomyopathy manifested at 2, 5, and 13 months of age are reported. The clinical, radiographic, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and angiocardiographic findings are analyzed. The follow up during 11, 14 and 16 years is described. After several years of the onset, 2 patients recovered a normal cardiac function. The third patient required a cardiac transplant when he was 9 years old, and now, after 2 and a half years, he is healthy, without congestive heart failure. Current references about indications of cardiac transplant in this disease are reviewed. We got the following conclusion: In patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, at least in those who begin before 2 years, the indication and the time of the cardiac transplant have to be established by individual valuation of each case, considering the follow up of the risk's criteria, mainly the congestive heart failure.
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