CATECHOLAMINE CARDIOMYOPATHY IN NEUROBLAS TOMA

Background. - Cardiovascular disorders associated with neural crest tu rners are congenital malformations rather than cardiomyopathies. Case report. - A 18 month-old girl developed heart failure one week after d iscovery of an adrenal neuroblastoma with excessive secretion of catec holamines. investigation showed dilated cardiomyopathy without myocard ial hypertrophy. Besides chemotherapy, the patient was given nitrous d erivatives, diuretics and converting enzyme inhibitor His cardiac cond ition gradually improved so that partial resection of the tumor was po ssible 2 years later. Conclusions. - The cardiomyopathy presented by t his patient is possibly catecholamine-induced even though catecholamin es usually results in myocardial hypertrophy rather than dilated cardi omyopathy. The reason why such a cardiomyopathy has never been reporte d in patients with neuroblastoma remains unclear.