Hypertensive Cardiomyopathy with Congestive Heart Failure in an Infant with Unilateral Wilms Tumor: A Case Report

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common malignant kidney tumor in children. High blood pressure is seen in up to 55% of children with WT. However, hypertensive cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure due to WT is remarkably rare, with only several cases reported worldwide. In this report, a pediatric case of WT with hypertension causing hypertensive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure is presented. An 8-month-old male child with abdominal distension was seen by his primary physician. He was referred to our hospital for further examination and treatment. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated a weakly enhancing, large abdominal mass, which was larger than 12 cm. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography showed a diffuse hypokinetic left ventricle. The patient was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy caused by hypertension. Open surgical resection of the mass was successfully performed. His postoperative course was uncomplicated, and the patient was successfully discharged. The plasma renin activity was maintained at a high level even after left nephrectomy, suggesting that the right kidney was likely the source of renin secretion. Mechanical compression of the right renal blood vessels by a greatly enlarged left kidney can cause right renal ischemia, which activates renin excretion. Nephrectomy can be an effective treatment for a WT patient with hypertension causing hypertensive cardiomyopathy, and then cardiac function will be improved within several weeks. We recommend routine echocardiography surveillance in patients with WT. This report can help pediatric surgeons become more familiar with cardiomyopathy caused by WT.