Endocrine Abstracts

Dilated cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure (CHF) is a very rare complication of growth hormone excess due to (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma; It occurs in nearly 3% of acromegaly. Our aim was to report a case with CHF, large right auricular thrombus, and pulmonary embolism.

Case report: A man aged 41, was known as an acromegaly gigantism due to a large pituitary somatotroph adenoma. That one was operated on twice but the tumor persisted and GH=79 ng/ml; As somatostatin analogues were not available, radiotherapy was proposed but was refused, and then the patient was lost in sight for 13 years. He consulted again in 2015 for heart failure. Heart echosonography showed a dilated cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction =25%, shortening fraction=15%) and a right auricular thrombus. The patient was admitted in intensive care unit but he died of pulmonary embolism.

Conclusion: Although it is rare, heart complication of GH excess can be fatal even in young people as in our case. Therefore, it is mandatory to treat aggressively every acromegaly on due time.