Abstract

There is an increased incidence of celiac disease in patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. We report a 4 7 year-old female presenting with heart failure secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology. During the five months following the first hospitalization the patient had multiple hospital admissions due to decompensate heart failure. Due to a history of intermittent diarrhea and weight loss, a celiac disease was suspected. Antiendomysial antibodies were positive and there was a villous atrophy in duodenal mucosa. A gluten free diet was started with a concomitant recovery of her functional capacity. After one month of gluten free diet a new echocardiogram showed a normal left ventricle and systolic function.