Rapidly Progressive Apical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Not Everything is What It Seems

TL;DR

A 43-year-old woman with a kidney transplant and hypertension developed a rare and rapidly progressing form of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, showing unique diagnostic challenges.

Contribution

This case report presents a rare instance of rapidly progressive apical HCM with distinctive clinical and diagnostic features.

Findings

The patient exhibited characteristic ECG findings of giant T-wave inversions.

Cardiac MRI confirmed apical hypertrophy with circumferential thickening.

The case emphasizes the difficulty in diagnosing rapidly progressive apical HCM.

Abstract

Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a rare variant of HCM. A 43-year-old female with a past medical history significant for hypertension and kidney transplantation presented with recurrent syncopal episodes and dyspnea on exertion. Electrocardiogram showed characteristic diffuse giant T-waves inversion, and cardiac magnetic resonance showed HCM with circumferential apical thickening. This case highlights the rapid development of apical HCM and its challenging diagnostic characteristics.

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