Abstract

SOLIS-OLIVARES, Carlos Alberto  and  RAMIREZ-GARCIA, Héctor Alejandro. Amphetamine-related dilatated cardiomyopathy: a growing phenomenon. Case report. Rev. Mex. Cardiol [online]. 2017, vol.28, n.1, pp.35-39. ISSN 0188-2198.

The consumption of amphetamines and its derivatives, either recreationally or for working reasons, is widespread, currently being the second most consumed drug worldwide. An often overlooked aspect of this drug has been its toxicity over the myocardium. In the following text we describe the case of a young male patient, without any relevant previous conditions, except alcohol ingestion in moderate quantity along with 3 years of using amphetamine-type stimulants and cocaine, whose main clinical manifestation was sudden onset dyspnea with minimal effort, which progressed to resting dyspnea after the ingestion of several tablets of clobenzorex, which was initially hospitalized with a diagnostic of pneumonia and finally diagnosed with a dilatated cardiomyopathy. Substance abuse should be a warning flag on patients presenting with dyspnea in order to think of a possible drug related cardiomyopathy, avoiding that way undue delays on appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords : Cardiomyopathy; amphetamines; methamphetamines; young; addiction; cardiotoxicity.