Primary pediatric cardiac tumors: a 17 year experience.

We reviewed 22 cases of primary pediatric cardiac tumors followed at our institution from January 1981 through November 1997, analyzing them by subtype, age and manner of presentation, location, associated findings, interventions, and clinical course. Rhabdomyomas were the most common (11), followed by intrapericardial teratomas (2), myxomas (1), fibromas (1), hemangiomas (1), mesotheliomas (1), and rhabdomyosarcomas (1), with 4 undetermined tumors. The majority (77%) of tumors were diagnosed before the age of one year, including six prenatally.

Management of nutritional and infectious complications of postoperative chylothorax in children.

Postoperative chylothorax may occur following any intrathoracic surgical procedure in children. From January 1979 through February 1987, 18 children aged 1 month to 9 years had chylothorax listed among their discharge diagnoses. Initial therapy for all patients consisted of chest tube placement for pleural space drainage and nutritional support with either enteral formulas enriched with medium-chain triglycerides or total parenteral nutrition.

A 20-year review of ostium primum defect repair in children.

Between July, 1963, and July, 1983, a total of 69 patients (35 boys and 34 girls) underwent ostium primum defect repair. There were four perioperative deaths and four patients were subsequently lost to follow-up, leaving 61 children followed for 6 months to 20 years (mean 5 years). Results of surgery were assessed by cardiac catheterization in 17 of 61 patients, while the remaining patients were evaluated noninvasively.

Hemitruncal sling: a newly recognized anomaly and its surgical correction.

A new type of vascular ring formed by a hemitruncal pulmonary artery is described. Early reimplantation of the hemitruncal pulmonary artery resulted in resolution of the respiratory distress, protection of the pulmonary arterial bed from obstructive vascular disease, and preparation of the pulmonary artery for future surgical correction.