Background: The cardiac side-effects of corticosteroid therapy are very uncommon.
Case report: A girl with ulcerative colitis developed at the age of 8 years an acute digestive episode despite prednisolone and total parenteral nutrition. The patient was then given intravenous methylprednisolone (2 mg/kg/d). Polypnea appeared 25 days later while blood pressure remained normal. Echocardiography revealed a cardiac hypertrophy associated with a systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. Cardiac symptoms and echography findings returned to normal after reduction of corticosteroid therapy and its administration via the oral route.
Conclusion: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has been described in preterms treated with dexamethasone for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. It is exceptional in older children under corticosteroid therapy and its mechanism remains unknown.