359. Case Report: Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum: An Unusual Case of Rapidly Progressive Heart Failure – Georgetown University

CardioNerds join Dr. Ethan Fraser and Dr. Austin Culver from the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital internal medicine and cardiology programs in our nation’s capital. They discuss the following case involving an unusual case of rapidly progressive heart failure. Episode audio was edited by CardioNerds Academy Intern and student Dr. Pacey Wetstein. Expert commentary was provided by advanced heart failure cardiologist Dr. Richa Gupta.



A 55-year-old male comes to the clinic (and eventually into the hospital) for what appears to be a straightforward decompensation of his underlying cardiac disease. However, things aren’t as simple as they might appear. In this episode, we will discuss the outpatient workup for non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and discuss the clinical indicators that we as clinicians should be aware of in these sick patients. Furthermore, we will discuss the differential for NICM, the management of patients with this rare disease, and how this disease can mimic other cardiomyopathies.







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Case Media - Rapidly Progressive Heart Failure

















Pearls - Rapidly Progressive Heart Failure




The non-ischemic cardiomyopathy workup should incorporate targeted multimodal imaging, thorough history taking, broad laboratory testing, genetic testing if suspicion exists for a hereditary cause, and a deep understanding of which populations are at higher risk for certain disease states.

Key Point: Always challenge and question the etiology of an unknown cardiomyopathy – do not assume an etiology based on history/patient story alone. 







Unexplained conduction disease in either a young or middle-aged individual in the setting of a known cardiomyopathy should raise suspicion for an infiltrative cardiomyopathy and set off a referral to an advanced heart failure program.

Key Point: Consider early/more aggressive imaging for these patients and early electrophysiology referral for primary/secondary prevention.







Giant Cell Myocarditis is a rapidly progressive cardiomyopathy characterized by high mortality (70% in the first year), conduction disease, and classically presents in young/middle-aged men.

Key Point: If you have a younger male with rapidly progressive cardiomyopathy (anywhere as quickly as 1-2 months, weeks in some cases) and conduction disease, consider early endomyocardial biopsy, even before other advanced imaging modalities.







The Diagnosis of Giant Cell Myocarditis is time-sensitive - early identification and treatment are essential to survival.

Key Point: The median timeframe from the time the disease is diagnosed to the time of death is approximately 6 months. 90% of patients are either deceased by the end of 1 year or have received a heart transplant.







The treatment of Giant Cell Myocarditis is still governed largely by expert opinion, but the key components include high-dose steroids and cyclosporine, largely as a bridge to transplantation or advanced heart failure therapies.

Key Point: Multi-disciplinary care is essential in delivering excellent care in the diagnostic/pre-transplant period, including involvement by cardiology, cardiac surgery, radiology, critical care, allergy/immunology, case management, advanced heart failure, and shock teams if necessary.







There remains significant clinical overlap between Giant Cell Myocarditis and sarcoidosis, making managing equivocal cases challenging.

Key Point: Consider early FDG-PET imaging in equivocal cases, as management during the pre-transplant period and evaluation of transplant candidacy can vary drastically between the two.






Show Notes - Rapidly Progressive Heart Failure



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