DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY ASSOCIATED WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM

We report a case of dilated cardiomyopathy with hyperthyroidism. A 28- year-old man was admitted because of congestive heart failure and atri al fibrillation, and was newly diagnosed as having hyperthyroidism. De spite administration of antithyroid medication, he developed recurrent congestive heart failure. An echocardiogram revealed a moderately dil ated left ventricle with diffuse hypokinesis. Though his thyroid funct ion normalized, the patient's cardiac dysfunction did not improve. Bet a-blocker therapy was begun with subsequent improvement in clinical sy mptoms. This suggests that beta-blocker treatment may be effective in patients with atrial fibrillation associated with cardiomyopathy and h yperthyroidism.