"THE EGG OR THE HEN“ – TACHYCARDIOMYOPATHY OR CARDIOMYOPATHY WITH TACHYCARDIA – A CLINICAL CASE

Abstract

Prolonged and recurrent supraventricular tachycardias, as well as frequent ventricular extrasystoles, bundle branch blocks, ventricular pacing, can cause the development of myocardial dysfunction, provoking dilated cardiomyopathy. Patients seek help only when clinical symptoms are present, although the arrhythmia may have persisted for months or years before their appearance. The diagnostic process is often challenging due to the lack of retrospective patient data and unclear criteria for making the diagnosis of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy. Timely recognition, thorough analysis and treatment can lead to partial or complete reversal of development. Due to these facts, we selected a clinical case of a patient with full recovery of cardiac function after life-threatening cardiomyopathy resulting from atrial fibrillation