Amphetamine Use Revealing Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in a Young Patient

J Med Cases. 2022 Apr;13(4):192-195. doi: 10.14740/jmc3915. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Abstract

Adrenergic overstimulation in long term can lead to a hyperdynamic myocardium and give rise to hypertrophy and ultimately to heart failure. Amphetamine use is a common cause of neurohormonal activation, which gives rise to such adverse cardiovascular events. However, hypertrophy of myocardium in young patients, even due to apparently obvious causes, should always be considered as a red flag and a further diagnostic downstream should take place, in order to exclude genetic causes. We present a case of a young man with chronic use of amphetamine and an incidental finding of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Keywords: Cardiac MRI; Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; Myopericarditis; Sudden cardiac death.

Publication types

  • Case Reports