Prenatal markers of atypical neurodevelopment in children with congenital heart defects.

Background: A growing body of literature demonstrates that survivors of congenital heart defects (CHD) are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay, which frequently manifests as motor delay during the first year of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine prenatal predictors of an early atypical neurodevelopment. This information could help assist decision-making during prenatal counseling.

Accelerated Cardiac Rhabdomyoma Regression with Everolimus in Infants with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Tuberous sclerosis complex is associated with benign tumors such as cardiac rhabdomyomas (RHM) caused by the disinhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein. Recent reports on everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, have shown size reduction of RHM. We compared cases recently treated with everolimus to historic controls whose first echocardiography was within first month of life.

Propranolol in the treatment of problematic infantile hemangioma: review of 35 consecutive patients from a vascular anomalies clinic.

Background: Propranolol, a nonselective β-blocker, has been reported as efficient for controlling the growth of complicated infantile hemangiomas (IHs). No uniformly accepted protocol exists regarding the administration of oral propranolol for IH.

Objective: We sought to share our experience using propranolol for problematic IH and to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment modality.

Propranolol in the treatment of problematic infantile hemangioma: review of 35 consecutive patients from a vascular anomalies clinic.

Background: Propranolol, a nonselective β-blocker, has been reported as efficient for controlling the growth of complicated infantile hemangiomas (IHs). No uniformly accepted protocol exists regarding the administration of oral propranolol for IH.

Objective: We sought to share our experience using propranolol for problematic IH and to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment modality.

Pericardial effusion in severe hypothyroidism in children.

Pleural and pericardial effusion is a rare complication of severe hypothyroidism in children but can be present in 10 to 30% of adults. Most pediatric cases have been in children with Down syndrome. In this report, six cases of pericardial effusion in children with severe hypothyroidism with and without trisomy 21 are presented.

Fetal echocardiographic screening of pregnancies of mothers with anti-Ro and/or anti-La antibodies.

The objectives of this study are to assess the incidence of congenital complete heart block (CCHB) in pregnant women who are anti-Ro and/or La positive. Between January, 1988 and July 1997, 118 pregnancies in 105 women were assessed by fetal echo at 18, 24, and 32 weeks' gestation. Of these 105, 96 had no history of a previous fetus with CCHB; 11(12 pregnancies) a history of a pregnancy with CCHB; and 4 a previous child with cutaneous neonatal lupus erythematosus (CNLE).

In Vitro Feasibility and Accuracy of Three-Dimensional Echocardiography for Ventricular Volume Assessment in Very Small Hearts.

To evaluate the in vitro accuracy of three-dimensional echocardiography (3-DE) for estimation of ventricular volume in very small hearts, left ventricular (LV) volume was determined by 3-DE in the excised hearts of 10 guinea pigs and 10 rabbits, and right ventricular (RV) volume was determined in 20 rabbits. The effect of edge enhancement, Sigma filter, and slice distance (1 mm versus 0.5 mm) was assessed in each heart.