• Tiago da Silva Santos and André Couto de Carvalho.
• Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário do Porto, Largo Professor Abel Salazar, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: tiagosilvasantos@chporto.min-saude.pt.
• Am J Emerg Med. 2022 Jan 1; 51: 426.e1-426.e3.

AbstractCalcium plays a vital key role in cardiac automatism and excitation-contraction coupling, with low serum levels associated with myocardial contractility compromise especially if myocardial sarcoplasmic reticulum is unable to maintain enough calcium content to initiate normal cardiac contraction. We present a 42-year-old woman with postsurgical untreated hypoparathyroidism and severe hypocalcaemia manifested as acute heart failure, without underlying known cardiac disease. Hypocalcaemia is a rare and potentially reversible cause of cardiomyopathy, with very few cases reported in the literature. Restoration to normal serum calcium levels usually leads to a rapid improvement of cardiac function. This rare case report highlights the importance of considering hypocalcaemia as a potentially reversible cause of severe cardiac dysfunction. Exclusion of hypocalcemia due to surgical hypoparathyroidism is mandatory in any individual with acute heart failure previously subjected to thyroidectomy.Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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