Successful heart transplant in a child with congenital core myopathy and delayed-onset restrictive cardiomyopathy due to recessive mutations in the titin (TTN) gene

Abstract

Background: Mutations in the TTN gene, encoding the muscle filament titin, are a major cause of inherited dilated cardiomyopathy. Early-onset skeletal muscle disorders due to recessive TTN mutations have recently been described, sometimes associated with cardiomyopathies.

Case description: We report the case of a boy with congenital core myopathy due to compound heterozygosity for TTN variants. He presented in infancy with rapidly evolving restrictive cardiomyopathy, requiring heart transplantation at the age of 5 years with favorable long-term cardiac and neuromuscular outcome.

Conclusion: Heart transplantation may have a role in selected patients with TTN-related congenital myopathy with disproportionally severe cardiac presentation compared to skeletal and respiratory muscle involvement.

Keywords: cardiomyopathy; pediatric heart transplant; titin.