Case Report: Right Heart Failure Mistaken for Obesity—A Fault of Telemedicine

Abstract

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become an important branch of healthcare worldwide. Apart from their undeniable advantages, the virtual visits lack physical examination, which can lead to important diagnostic mistakes. We hereby present a case of a pediatric patient whose weight gain, initially attributed to a sedentary lifestyle was, in fact, due to sub-acute right heart failure in the context of a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. The condition was not diagnosed until the patient presented at the emergency. The boy was successfully treated with two percutaneous interventions and returned to his previous stature.

Virtual Cardiology: Past, Present, Future Directions, and Considerations

“…Other than logistical issues, accurate assessment of patients could be another challenging aspect of tele-cardiology. A case report highlighted this shortcoming where the cause of weight gain in a patient with congenital heart disease was attributed to sedentary lifestyle, whereas patient had developed right-sided heart failure secondary to ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm [ 58 •]. Although tele-cardiology has led to increased convenience and improved outcomes in many aspects of patient care, there are still issues that need to be addressed to make this system more sustainable and efficacious in the long run.…”