Heart Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heart Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Diabetic myonecrosis in an orthotopic heart transplant recipient.

Byars JA, Rosenberg EI

Department of Medicine, Health Sciences Center, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0277, USA.

Diabetic myonecrosis or muscle infarction (DMI) is a rare cause of lower extremity pain that usually occurs in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. Although most patients recover with opiate analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications, this type of myonecrosis is associated with the presence of serious vascular disease. Consideration of this diagnosis and use of soft-tissue imaging are especially important in diabetic organ transplant recipients to prevent erroneous treatment for presumed infection. We describe what we believe is the first reported case of diabetic myonecrosis occurring in a patient with iatrogenically induced diabetes after orthotopic heart transplantation.

Published 23 April 2007 in J Heart Lung Transplant, 26(5): 549-52.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Heart Transplant Research Today. All Rights Reserved.