An infant with acute decompensated heart failure caused by afterload mismatch due to tumour-induced secondary hypertension: a case report

Hypertensive crisis is a relatively rare condition among infants and usually occurs secondary to an underlying disease. If not managed promptly, it is life-threatening and can lead to irreversible damage to vital organs. While secondary hypertension due to tumours has been reported previously, acute decompensated heart failure is rare, especially in the paediatric population.

A 2-month-old female infant presented with poor feeding and poor body weight gain. She was extremely ill, and blood gas analysis showed prominent acidosis (pH 6.945). The patient was intubated and referred to our hospital for further care. Her arterial blood pressure (BP) was as high as 142/62 mmHg. Echocardiography showed decreased left ventricular function with an ejection fraction of 19.5% and a left ventricular end-diastolic diameter of 25.8 mm (Z score = 2.71). We promptly started treatment with antihypertensive drugs. She had no congenital heart disease or any lesions that may have caused an increased afterload. There was no palpable mass suggestive of the tumour; however, close examination with abdominal echo and subsequent contrast-enhanced computed tomography confirmed a left kidney mass. Blood tests suggested renin-dependent hypertension due to the tumour causing an excessive afterload. Laparoscopic left nephrectomy improved cardiac function improved as BP decreased.

Blood pressure measurement is often omitted in daily practice when examining infants because of difficulty in measurement. However, BP may be the only detectable sign in patients with secondary hypertension before decompensated heart failure, and BP should also be measured in infants.