Heart transplantation from a dermatomyositis donor: Case report and review

Abstract

Dermatomyositis is known to have sequelae outside of dermatological and musculoskeletal findings. These can also include pulmonary manifestations in the form of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Cardiac manifestations can include: myopericarditis, dysrhythmias and congestive heart failure. There are even patients with dermatomyositis who have required ventricular assist devices, pacemakers, implantable cardiac devices and even cardiac transplantation. However, we report the case of a patient with dermatomyositis with associated ILD who required lung transplantation who subsequently became a cardiac donor himself after a catastrophic neurological event during his pulmonary deterioration and cardiac work-up. With no prior literature, to our knowledge, this is the first published description of usage of a dermatomyositis donor in with successful cardiac transplantation without post-operative sequelae of dermatomyosits cardiac manifestations.