A Case Report of Postheart Transplant Epicardial Adipose Deposition in a Patient With Dunnigan Syndrome

Abstract

Dunnigan syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that is a type of familial partial lipodystrophy. In some patients, severe cardiomyopathy and heart transplantation have been reported in this syndrome. Here, we describe a 40-year-old patient with Dunnigan syndrome who underwent heart transplantation for end-stage heart failure. Post-transplantation, routine imaging showed an accumulation of epicardial adipose tissue around the heart. In general, in Dunnigan syndrome, epicardial fat accumulation is not different compared with that of the general population. This is the first case report of exaggerated accumulation of adipose tissue around the heart causing subtle pericardial tamponade physiology.