Intramyocardial administration of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in a critically ill child with dilated cardiomyopathy

Almost half of the children with symptomatic dilated cardiomyopathy receive a transplant or die within 2 years; however, cardiac stem cell transplantation has become a promising therapeutic option. The present case demonstrates for the first time, to our knowledge, the intramyocardial administration of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in a critically ill 4-month-old child with severe dilated cardiomyopathy. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 20% before stem cell transplantation to 41% at 4 months of follow-up.