Dilated cardiomyopathy revealing Refsum disease: a case report.

Abstract

Background: Refsum disease is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disorder of lipid metabolism that results in the accumulation of phytanic acid. This syndrome is characterized with a range of classic symptoms including ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, amyotrophy, retinopathy, ichthyosis, and hearing loss. Later in life, individuals with Refsum disease may present cardiac manifestations, such as arrhythmias or conduction defects (first-degree atrioventricular block and bundle branch block) and hypertrophic or dilated cardiomyopathy, leading to heart failure and sudden death. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case revealed by cardiac manifestations described in literature.

Case presentation: We report the case of 38-year-old white Moroccan male who was admitted in our department for an acute decompensated heart failure episode. Transthoracic echocardiography found a dilated cardiomyopathy with a reduced ejection fraction at 15%. Further evaluation showed different features of Refsum disease. High plasma level of phytanic acid confirmed the diagnosis. Cardiac manifestations are frequent in the late course of the adult Refsum disease and include, cardiomyopathy, electrical abnormalities, and sudden cardiac death. Moreover, arrhythmias remain one of the main causes of death in these patients.

Conclusion: Refsum's disease is an autosomal recessive disorder. It presents as retinitis pigmentosa with anosmia, deafness ataxia, and cardiac defects. Current interventions for individuals with Refsum disease consist of dietary phytanic acid restriction and lipid apheresis to control symptoms and enhance quality of life.