Tuberous sclerosis, cardiac rhabdomyomas and competitive Paralympic sports activity: a case report

We describe the case of a 20-year-old man suffering from tuberous sclerosis and an autistic disorder, already practicing swimming and athletics (running) at noncompetitive level. In the past, he was denied competitive sports due to multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas, the greatest of them slightly protruding from the septum into the left ventricle. He came to our Center for a new evaluation for competitive sport. An accurate echocardiographic and Doppler examination was substantially normal, a part of the presence of one rhabdomyoma, not causing left ventricular outflow obstruction. Furthermore, no significant arrhythmias and ECG abnormalities were observed at rest and during exercise stress test. For this reason, we decided to allow the young man to participate in competitive sports activity (Paralympic), with a close follow-up. After six years, there were no cardiovascular events and no changes in the clinical and instrumental cardiac findings.