Supraventricular arrhythmias have become an increasingly significant contributor to the risk of mortality and morbidity in adults with complex congenital heart disease (CHD), especially in light of recent advances in palliative corrective surgeries. Because of their unique characteristics, they demand specific treatment approaches. While pharmaco-logical interventions are an option, they have limited effectiveness and may lead to side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heterogeneous genetic disorder, most often caused by sarcomeric gene mutations, with a small proportion due to variants in non-sarcomeric loci. Phospholamban (PLN) is a phosphoprotein associated with the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, a major determinant of cardiac contractility and relaxation. We conducted a retrospective study to determine the prevalence, phenotypical spectrum and clinical course of patients carrying the p.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory is a tool used to measure Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in children aged 2 to 18 years. The aim of the present study was to investigate the feasibility and reliability of the Romanian version of two PedsQL modules, the Generic Core and the Multidimensional Fatigue Scales, in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Children diagnosed with IBD in our clinic and their parents completed a total of 26 Romanian version PedsQL forms, while a control group of healthy children and their caregiver filled in 86 identical online forms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWolf-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a disorder characterized by the presence of at least one accessory pathway (AP) that can predispose people to atrial/ventricular tachyarrhythmias and even sudden cardiac death. It is the second most common cause of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia in most parts of the world, affecting about 0.1-0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStatins are a class of medications primarily used in adults to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. However, the use of statins in children is generally limited and carefully considered despite the well-documented anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects, as well as their effect on cell signaling pathways. These multifaceted effects, known as pleiotropic effects, encompass enhancements in endothelial function, a significant reduction in oxidative stress, the stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques, immunomodulation, the inhibition of vascular smooth muscle proliferation, an influence on bone metabolism, anti-inflammatory properties, antithrombotic effects, and a diminished risk of dementia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF(1) Background: Nanomedicine, incorporating various nanoparticles and nanomaterials, offers significant potential in medical practice. Its clinical adoption, however, faces challenges like safety concerns, regulatory hurdles, and biocompatibility issues. Despite these, recent advancements have led to the approval of many nanotechnology-based products, including those for pediatric use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited disease characterized by the progressive replacement of the normal myocardium by fibroadipocytic tissue. The importance of an early diagnosis is supported by a higher risk of sudden cardiac death in the pediatric population. We reviewed the literature on diagnosis, risk stratification, and prognosis in the pediatric population with ARVC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtrial septal defects (ASDs) present a significant healthcare challenge, demanding accurate and timely diagnosis and precise management to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare are rapidly evolving, offering promise for enhanced medical decision-making and patient care. In the context of cardiology, the integration of AI promises to provide more efficient and accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment strategies for ASD patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtrial septal defect (ASD) represents the most common congenital heart defect identified in adulthood. Atrial and ventricular geometric remodeling due to intracardiac shunt increase the risk of arrhythmias, especially atrial fibrillation (AF). Clinical, echocardiography, electrocardiogram, and device-related predictors may be used to assess the risk of atrial arrhythmias after ASD closure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiac arrhythmias are a frequent complication in the evolution of patients with congenital heart disease. Corrective surgery for these malformations is an additional predisposition to the appearance of arrhythmias. Several factors related to the patient, as well as to the therapeutic management, are involved in the etiopathogenesis of cardiac arrhythmias occurring post-operatively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSudden cardiac death (SCD) in children is a devastating event, often linked to primary electrical diseases (PED) of the heart. PEDs, often referred to as channelopathies, are a group of genetic disorders that disrupt the normal ion channel function in cardiac cells, leading to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. This paper investigates the unique challenges of risk assessment and stratification for channelopathy-related SCD in pediatric patients-Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, long QT syndrome, Anderson-Tawil syndrome, short QT syndrome, and early repolarization syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiac implantable electronic devices are now widely used worldwide and the numbers are increasing exponentially. Subsequently, long-term complications have increased. Transvenous lead-extraction (TLE) is the gold standard for removing infected devices, treating systemic device-related infections including endocarditis, and removing devices for other non-infectious complications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfective endocarditis (IE) is a disease of the endocardium, which leads to the appearance of vegetation on the valves, cardiac structures, or, potentially, vascular endothelium of the heart. The risk of IE can be increased more than 140 times by congenital heart disease (50-59% of all IE), particularly if cyanotic. An increase in mortality may result from IE in patients with a complex cardiac pathology or patients with an implanted prosthetic material, most frequently conduits in a pulmonary position.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Acute kidney injury occurs commonly in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. We report a case of a neonate with congenital heart disease who developed acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery, administration of iodinated contrast media for cardiac catheterization, and a combination of nephrotoxic drugs.
Case Report: A term neonate without a prenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease and with a good postnatal transition was transferred at 13 days of life to the MS Curie Emergency Hospital for Children, Newborn Intensive Care Unit, from a regional hospital where he was admitted at 10 days of life with severe general status, respiratory distress, cyanosis, and arterial hypotension.
Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the pulmonary artery, ARCAPA, is an extremely rare congenital heart disease. Only 200 cases were reported from 1885 to the present. Patients diagnosed with ARCAPA can be either asymptomatic or can experience symptoms, such as heart murmur, dyspnea, or angina, shortly after birth or around 40-60 years of life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRom J Morphol Embryol
September 2022
Isolated right ventricle hypoplasia (IRVH) is a disease characterized by an underdeveloped right ventricle. It is a congenital heart disease than can associate heterogeneous structural defects and nonspecific clinical features, which can often present a challenging therapeutic management. In this article, there are presented diagnostic methods and treatment options for right ventricle hypoplasia (RVH) according to clinical features, patients age and associated structural heart defects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuct-dependent congenital heart disease requires attentive therapeutic management since the only source of pulmonary blood flow in newborns is provided by the patent ductus arteriosus. The patency of the duct is the main objective in the first hours of life and it is guaranteed by prostaglandin E1 infusion, but it is not a long-term solution for this type of cardiac malformation. In order to augment pulmonary blood, there are two types of interventions that can be performed: a classical surgical shunt or stenting of the ductus arteriosus, a fairly new alternative to cardiac palliative surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute myocardial infarction (AMI) in children is rather anecdotic. However, following COVID-19, some conditions may develop which may favor thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death. Such a condition is Kawasaki-like disease (K-lD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFspp. is a group of fungi belonging to the order. Cases of fungal endocarditis are sporadic, but more frequent in immunocompromised patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDouble aortic arch represents a congenital vascular malformation that is characterized by the development of a complete vascular ring around the esophagus and trachea due to an anomaly in the development of branchial arteries. We present the case of a 31-year-old gravida that was referred for fetal ultrasound anomalies screening at 22 weeks and six days of gestation. Routine ultrasound scanning of the fetus revealed a structural aortic arch anomaly consistent with a double aortic arch, with no other cardiac and diextracardiac congenital structural malformations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJuvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) is one of the pediatric systemic connective tissue disorders, consisting of an idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, affecting primarily skin and muscle, representing approximately 85% of cases in this group. A significant source of morbidity is the occurrence of overlap characteristics with other connective tissue disorders, including systemic sclerosis (SSc). Overlap JDM/SSc syndrome is rare in children, with only a few reported cases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe present paper examines the correlations between coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) from a clinical and pathophysiological point of view. We describe COVID-19 and HUS by outlining the similarities and differences, detailing each one's pathway into the body, explaining the consequences of the inflammatory response, mainly on multiple organ dysfunction, the foremost complication that can lead to death in both cases. Using reviews from specialized literature and guidelines, we had an approach based on critical interpretive synthesis.
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