Successful heart transplantation following neonatal necrotic enterovirus myocarditis

Abstract

Enterovirus myocarditis is a potentially devastating diagnosis in the neonatal setting, with an associated high mortality and risk for chronically impaired cardiac function. Transplantation may be a possible therapeutic option, but, due to the comparative scarcity of the presentation, the limited donor pool, and fears of viral persistence and recurrence of myocarditis (especially in the immunocompromised, post-transplant setting), there are no reported cases in the literature. This case report illustrates an encouraging one-year outcome following heart transplantation for necrotic enterovirus myocarditis in a neonate.