Maternal diabetes as a teratogenic factor for congenital heart defects in infants of diabetic mothers.

Background: Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are shown to have an association with maternal diabetes mellitus. The Bahraini population has a high prevalence of diabetes 16.3% thus putting it at increased risk of developing CHDs in infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs).

Long-term Outcomes of Tetralogy of Fallot in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Introduction: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. Surgical correction has improved survival but re-intervention is often required.

Objectives: The objective is to assess outcomes after surgical repair of TOF, long-term follow-up, and factors that influence these results.

Dacron Tube Graft-Covered Stenting of Recoarctation of the Aorta.

We report a case with recoarctation within a tubed graft. Covered stent placed inside the tube graft safely and effectively treated the recoarctation of the aorta.

Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection with accessory pulmonary veins.

We present a case of a six-year-old boy with complex partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections with accessory pulmonary veins, where multi-detector computed tomography proved crucial for accurate identification prior to planning for surgical correction.

Computerized Tomography Use in Williams-Beuren Syndrome Aortopathy.

Williams-Beuren syndrome is a multisystem genetic disorder caused by hemizygous deletion on chromosome 7q11.23, encompassing about 28 genes including the elastin gene, ELN. Cardiovascular abnormalities are frequent and are related to elastin insufficiency.

Autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 2A (ARCL2A) mimicking Ehlers-Danlos syndrome by its dermatological manifestations: report of three affected patients.

Through a survey of more than 20 patients with a specific subgroup of autosomal recessive congenital cutis laxa (ARCL), namely ATP6V0A2-related cutis laxa, we noted that the clinical findings on three patients included pretibial pseudo-ecchymotic skin lesions very similar to those found in classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. The finding is apparently age-related, occurring during the second decade in two of the three patients.

Effects of IgM from rheumatic fever patients on intracellular calcium levels of neonatal rat cardiac myocytes.

Rheumatic fever (RF), a potential sequela of Streptococcus pyogenes pharyngitis, sometimes results in myocarditis and heart failure. Antibodies have been implicated in the pathogenesis of RF and anti-cardiac myosin antibody levels are elevated in RF patients. Since myocarditis is associated with altered cardiomyocyte calcium transients it was of interest to determine the direct effects of RF patient antibodies on calcium transients in cultured myocytes.