Acute heart transplant graft failure in association with hyperosmolar hyperglycemia state

We report a 38-year-old male with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy requiring left ventricular assist device placement, followed by orthotopic heart transplantation, who presented 18 months post-orthotopic heart transplant with acute graft failure with estimated left ventricular ejection fraction of 5% to 10%, in association with a glucose level of 550 mg/dL, and hemoglobin A1C of 13.8% and a negative pathology for a graft cellular and humoral rejection and no vasculaopthy. His left ventricular ejection fraction improved significantly to 40% to 45% within three days of optimal glucose control.