Pneumonia, wheezing and asthma were more common in children after thymectomy due to open-heart surgery.

AIM: This nationwide study evaluated the clinical impact that an early thymectomy, during congenital heart defect (CHD) surgery, had on the health of children and adolescents. METHODS: The subjects were patients aged 1-15 years who had undergone CHD surgery at the University Children's Hospital, Helsinki, where all CHD surgery in Finland is carried out, from 2006 to 2018. The parents or the cases and population-based controls, matched for sex, age and hospital district, completed electronic questionnaires. We excluded those with low birth weights or a known immunodeficiency. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for prespecified outcomes. RESULTS: We received responses relating to 260/450 (58%) cases and 1403/4500 (31%) controls and excluded 73 cases with persistent cardiac or respiratory complaints after surgery. The CHD group reported more recurrent hospitalisations due to infections (aOR 6.3, 95% CI 3.0-13) than the controls and more pneumonia episodes (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 2.1-5.6), asthma (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.5-4.1) and wheezing (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5-2.9). CONCLUSION: Hospitalisation due to infections, pneumonia, wheezing and asthma was more common in children after a thymectomy due to open-heart surgery than population-based controls, underlining the importance of immunological follow-ups.

Systemic-to-pulmonary collateral flow associations with antegrade pulmonary flow in single ventricle patients: insights from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: In the palliated single ventricle anomalies, a considerable amount of the aortic flow may be absorbed by the systemic-pulmonary collateral flow (SPCF), which can be noninvasively assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The aims of this study were to (1) identify factors associated with SCPF in pediatric single ventricle patients, and (2) establish a cutoff values indicating an association between SCPF and a reduction in antegrade pulmonary flow. Methods: A retrospective single-tertiary-center cohort study included 158 consecutive CMR studies of patients with a single ventricle. In the uni- and multivariable analysis, SPCF was presented as a percentage of the total pulmonary venous flow (SPCF%PV). The minimal clinically important difference in QP/QS ratios was estimated as ≥0.50, and an optimal cutoff value was defined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: SPCF%PV was significantly smaller in the post-total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) group than in the pre-TCPC patients (p < 0.001). The patient's higher age and a higher antegrade pulmonary flow were associated with a lower SPCF%PV. A negative weak association was observed between the SPCF%PV and systemic saturation (r = -0.39, p < 0.001). SPCF%PV did not associate with ventricular volumes nor ejection fraction. The SPCF%PV was significantly smaller in patients that were palliated primarily with a pulmonary artery banding compared to those palliated with a BT-shunt (p = 0.002) or RV-PA- shunt (p = 0.044). In the ROC analysis, for pre-TCPC patient's, a cutoff of SPCF%PV 42% yielded a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 80% for significantly reduced antegrade pulmonary flow (AUC 0.97). In the post-TCPC group, the optimal SPCF%PV cutoff was 34% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98%, AUC 0.99). Conclusion: SPCF results in a considerable left-to-right shunt, which subsequently diminishes spontaneously after TCPC. Our findings indicated that for pre-TCPC patients, an SPCF%PV threshold of 42% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 80%), and for the post-TCPC group, a threshold of 34% (sensitivity 100%, specificity 98%) were effective in identifying reduced antegrade pulmonary flow.

Risk factors for mortality in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the Norwood procedure.

OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported mortality risk factors associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). However, these data are ambiguous and mainly focused on the independent effects of these factors. We examined both the independent and the cumulative effects of preoperative risk factors for poor outcome in patients undergoing the Norwood procedure. Moreover, we studied the risk factors associated with prolonged initial hospital stays in these patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective national 18-year observational study of preoperative risk factors for 1 year, as well as total follow-up mortality or need for transplant in patients with HLHS (N = 99) born in Finland between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2021. RESULTS: Overall, one-year survival was 85.6%. In a multivariable analysis, having a major extracardiac anomaly and being small for gestational age were significant predictors of one-year mortality or the need for a transplant. Aortic atresia was a predictor of total follow-up mortality. An analysis of the cumulative effect indicated that the presence of 2 risk factors was associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS: HLHS remains the defect with the highest procedural risks for mortality in paediatric cardiac surgery. From a prognostic point of view, recognition of independent preoperative risk factors as well as the cumulative effect of risk factors for mortality is essential.The results of this study were presented orally at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology, Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May 2022.

Combining Congenital Heart Surgical and Interventional Cardiology Outcome Data in a Single Database: The Development of a Patient-Centered Collaboration of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) and the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC).

The European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) Congenital Database (CD) is the second largest clinical pediatric and congenital cardiac surgical database in the world and the largest in Europe, where various smaller national or regional databases exist. Despite the dramatic increase in interventional cardiology procedures over recent years, only scattered national or regional databases of such procedures exist in Europe. Most importantly, no congenital cardiac database exists in the world that seamlessly combines both surgical and interventional cardiology data on an international level; therefore, the outcomes of surgical and interventional procedures performed on the same or similar patients cannot easily be tracked, assessed, and analyzed. In order to fill this important gap in our capability to gather and analyze information on our common patients, ECHSA and The Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) have embarked on a collaborative effort to expand the ECHSA-CD with a new module designed to capture data about interventional cardiology procedures. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the concept, the structure, and the function of the new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD, as well as the potentially valuable synergies provided by the shared interventional and surgical analyses of outcomes of patients. The new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD will allow centers to have access to robust surgical and transcatheter outcome data from their own center, as well as robust national and international aggregate outcome data for benchmarking. Each contributing center or department will have access to their own data, as well as aggregate data from the AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD. The new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD will allow cardiology centers to have access to aggregate cardiology data, just as surgical centers already have access to aggregate surgical data. Comparison of surgical and catheter interventional outcomes could potentially strengthen decision processes. A study of the wealth of information collected in the database could potentially also contribute toward improved early and late survival, as well as enhanced quality of life of patients with pediatric and/or congenital heart disease treated with surgery and interventional cardiac catheterization across Europe and the world.

Combining Congenital Heart Surgical and Interventional Cardiology Outcome Data in a Single Database: The Development of a Patient-Centered Collaboration of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) and the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC).

The European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) Congenital Database (CD) is the second largest clinical pediatric and congenital cardiac surgical database in the world and the largest in Europe, where various smaller national or regional databases exist. Despite the dramatic increase in interventional cardiology procedures over recent years, only scattered national or regional databases of such procedures exist in Europe. Most importantly, no congenital cardiac database exists in the world that seamlessly combines both surgical and interventional cardiology data on an international level; therefore, the outcomes of surgical and interventional procedures performed on the same or similar patients cannot easily be tracked, assessed, and analyzed. In order to fill this important gap in our capability to gather and analyze information on our common patients, ECHSA and The Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) have embarked on a collaborative effort to expand the ECHSA-CD with a new module designed to capture data about interventional cardiology procedures. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the concept, the structure, and the function of the new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD, as well as the potentially valuable synergies provided by the shared interventional and surgical analyses of outcomes of patients. The new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD will allow centers to have access to robust surgical and transcatheter outcome data from their own center, as well as robust national and international aggregate outcome data for benchmarking. Each contributing center or department will have access to their own data, as well as aggregate data from the AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD. The new AEPC Interventional Cardiology Part of the ECHSA-CD will allow cardiology centers to have access to aggregate cardiology data, just as surgical centers already have access to aggregate surgical data. Comparison of surgical and catheter interventional outcomes could potentially strengthen decision processes. A study of the wealth of information collected in the database could potentially also contribute toward improved early and late survival, as well as enhanced quality of life of patients with pediatric and/or congenital heart disease treated with surgery and interventional cardiac catheterization across Europe and the world.

Analysis of thymic generation of shared T-cell receptor α repertoire associated with recognition of tumor antigens shows no preference for neoantigens over wild-type antigens.

BACKGROUND: The number of mutations in cancer cells is an important predictor of a positive response to cancer immunotherapy. It has been suggested that the neoantigens produced by these mutations are more immunogenic than nonmutated tumor antigens, which are likely to be protected by immunological tolerance. However, the mechanisms of tolerance as regards tumor antigens are incompletely understood. METHODS: Here, we have analyzed the impact of thymic negative selection on shared T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire associated with the recognition of either mutated or nonmutated tumor antigens by comparing previously known TCR-antigen-pairs to TCR repertoires of 21 immunologically healthy individuals. RESULTS: Our results show that TCRα chains associated with either type of tumor antigens are readily generated in the thymus, at a frequency similar to TCRα chains associated with nonself. In the peripheral repertoire, the relative clone size of nonself-associated chains is higher than that of the tumor antigens, but importantly, there is no difference between TCRα chains associated with mutated or nonmutated tumor antigens. CONCLUSION: This suggests that the tolerance mechanisms protecting nonmutated tumor antigens are non-deletional and therefore potentially reversible. As unmutated antigens are, unlike mutations, shared by a large number of patients, they may offer advantages in designing immunological approaches to cancer treatment.

Institutional transition from invasive to non-invasive imaging in children with univentricular heart defects: safety and cost savings.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with univentricular heart defects require lifelong imaging surveillance. Recent advances in non-invasive imaging have enabled replacing these patients' routine catheterisation. Our objective was to describe the safety and cost savings of transition of a tertiary care children's hospital from routine invasive to routine non-invasive imaging of low-risk patients with univentricular heart defects. METHODS: This single-centre cohort study consists of 1) a retrospective analysis of the transition from cardiac catheterisation (n = 21) to CT angiography (n = 20) before bidirectional Glenn operation and 2) a prospective study (n = 89) describing cardiac magnetic resonance before and after the total cavopulmonary connection in low-risk patients with univentricular heart defects. RESULTS: Pre-Glenn: The total length of CT angiography was markedly shorter compared to the catheterisation: 30 min (range: 20-60) and 125 min (range: 70-220), respectively (p < 0.001). Catheterisation used more iodine contrast agents than CT angiography, 19 ± 3.9 ml, and 10 ± 2.4 ml, respectively (p < 0.001). Controlled ventilation was used for all catheterised and 3 (15%) CT angiography patients (p < 0.001). No complications occurred during CT angiography, while they emerged in 19% (4/21) catheterisation cases (p < 0.001). CT angiography and catheterisation showed no significant difference in the radiation exposure. Pre-/post-total cavopulmonary connection: All cardiac magnetic resonance studies were successful, and no complications occurred. In 60% of the cardiac magnetic resonance (53/89), no sedation was performed, and peripheral venous pressure was measured in all cases. Cost analysis suggests that moving to non-invasive imaging yielded cost savings of at least €2500-4000 per patient. CONCLUSION: Transition from routine invasive to routine non-invasive pre-and post-operative imaging is safely achievable with cost savings.

Heart Transplantation for Early-Onset Anthracycline-Induced Cardiomyopathy Within 5 Months of Chemotherapy Completion.

A 9-year-old boy developed progressive anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy three months after completion of chemotherapy for osteosarcoma. Five months after completion of chemotherapy, at the age of 10 years, heart transplantation was performed. At 29 months since transplantation, the patient remains free of rejection and recurrence of osteosarcoma. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).

Generation of self-reactive, shared T-cell receptor α chains in the human thymus.

The T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire is generated in a semistochastic process of gene recombination and pairing of TCRα to TCRß chains with the estimated total TCR diversity of >108. Despite this high diversity, similar or identical TCR chains are found to recur in immune responses. Here, we analyzed the thymic generation of TCR sequences previously associated with recognition of self- and nonself-antigens, represented by sequences associated with autoimmune diabetes and HIV, respectively. Unexpectedly, in the CD4+ compartment TCRα chains associated with the recognition of self-antigens were generated in significantly higher numbers than TCRα chains associated with the recognition of nonself-antigens. The analysis of the circulating repertoire further showed that these chains are not lost in negative selection nor predominantly converted to the regulatory T-cell lineage. The high abundance of self-reactive TCRα chains in multiple individuals suggests that the human thymus has a predilection to generate self-reactive TCRα chains independently of the HLA-type and that the individual risk of autoimmunity may be modulated by the TCRß repertoire associated with these chains.

Characterization of human T cell receptor repertoire data in eight thymus samples and four related blood samples.

T cell receptor (TCR) is a heterodimer consisting of TCRα and TCRß chains that are generated by somatic recombination of multiple gene segments. Nascent TCR repertoire undergoes thymic selections where non-functional and potentially autoreactive receptors are removed. During the last years, the development of high-throughput sequencing technology has allowed a large scale assessment of TCR repertoire and multiple analysis tools are now also available. In our recent manuscript, Human thymic T cell repertoire is imprinted with strong convergence to shared sequences[1], we show highly overlapping thymic TCR repertoires in unrelated individuals. In the current Data in Brief article, we provide a more detailed characterization of the basic features of these thymic and related peripheral blood TCR repertoires. The thymus samples were collected from eight infants undergoing corrective cardiac surgery, two of whom were monozygous twins [2]. In parallel with the surgery, a small aliquot of peripheral blood was drawn from four of the donors. Genomic DNA was extracted from mechanically released thymocytes and circulating leukocytes. The sequencing of TCRα and TCRß repertoires was performed at ImmunoSEQ platform (Adaptive Biotechnologies). The obtained repertoire data were analysed applying relevant features from immunoSEQ® 3.0 Analyzer (Adaptive Biotechnologies) and a freely available VDJTools software package for programming language R [3]. The current data analysis displays the basic features of the sequenced repertoires including observed TCR diversity, various descriptive TCR diversity measures, and V and J gene usage. In addition, multiple methods to calculate repertoire overlap between two individuals are applied. The raw sequence data provide a large database of reference TCRs in healthy individuals at an early developmental stage. The data can be exploited to improve existing computational models on TCR repertoire behaviour as well as in the generation of new models.

Human thymic T cell repertoire is imprinted with strong convergence to shared sequences.

A highly diverse repertoire of T cell antigen receptors (TCR) is created in the thymus by recombination of gene segments and the insertion or deletion of nucleotides at the junctions. Using next-generation TCR sequencing we define here the features of recombination and selection in the human TCRα and TCRß locus, and show that a strikingly high proportion of the repertoire is shared by unrelated individuals. The thymic TCRα nucleotide repertoire was more diverse than TCRß, with 4.1 × 106 vs. 0.81 × 106 unique clonotypes, and contained nonproductive clonotypes at a higher frequency (69.2% vs. 21.2%). The convergence of distinct nucleotide clonotypes to the same amino acid sequences was higher in TCRα than in TCRß repertoire (1.45 vs. 1.06 nucleotide sequences per amino acid sequence in thymus). The gene segment usage was biased, and generally all individuals favored the same genes in both TCRα and TCRß loci. Despite the high diversity, a large fraction of the repertoire was found in more than one donor. The shared fraction was bigger in TCRα than TCRß repertoire, and more common in in-frame sequences than in nonproductive sequences. Thus, both biases in rearrangement and thymic selection are likely to contribute to the generation of shared repertoire in humans.

Perinatal and perioperative factors associated with mortality and an increased need for hospital care in infants with transposition of the great arteries: A nationwide 11-year population-based cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Newborn infants with transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA) need immediate care for an optimal outcome. This study comprised a nationwide 11-year population-based cohort of d-TGA infants, and assessed whether the implementation of a nationwide systematic fetal screening program, or other perinatal, or perioperative factors, are associated with mortality or an increased need for hospital care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The national cohort consisted of all live-born infants with simple d-TGA (TGA ± small ventricular septal defect, n = 127) born in Finland during 2004-2014. Data were collected from six national registries. Prenatal diagnosis and perinatal and perioperative factors associated with mortality and length of hospitalization were evaluated. RESULTS: Preoperative mortality was 7.9%, and the total mortality was 8.7%. The prenatal detection rate increased after introducing systematic fetal anomaly screening from 5.0% to 37.7% during the study period (P < .0001), but the total mortality rate remained unchanged. All prenatally diagnosed infants (n = 27) survived. Lower gestational age (odds ratio 0.68, P = .012) and higher maternal age at birth (odds ratio 1.16, P = .036) were associated with increased mortality in multivariable analysis. Older infant age at time of operation (P = .002), longer aortic clamp time (P < .001), and higher maternal body mass index (P = .027) were associated with longer initial hospital stay. An extended need for hospital care during the first year of life was multi-factorial. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, none of the prenatally diagnosed d-TGA infants died. As a result of the limited prenatal detection rates, however, the sample size was insufficient to reach statistical significance. The d-TGA infants born with lower gestational age and to older mothers had increased mortality.

Epigenetic and transcriptional analysis supports human regulatory T cell commitment at the CD4+CD8+ thymocyte stage.

The natural CD25+ FOXP3+ regulatory T cell (Treg) population is generated as a distinct lineage in the thymus, but the details of Treg development in humans remain unclear, and the timing of Treg commitment is also contested. Here we have analyzed the emergence of CD25+ cells at the CD4+CD8+ double positive (DP) stage in the human thymus. We show that these cells share T cell receptor repertoire with CD25+ CD4 single-positive thymocytes, believed to be committed Tregs. They already have a fully demethylated FOXP3 enhancer region and thus display stable expression of FOXP3 and the associated Treg phenotype. Transcriptome analysis also grouped the DP CD25+ and CD4 CD25+ thymocytes apart from the CD25- subsets. Together with earlier studies, our data are consistent with human Treg commitment already at the DP thymocyte stage. We suggest that the most important antigens and signals necessary for human Treg differentiation may be found in the thymic cortex.

Identifying the inheritable component of human thymic T cell repertoire generation in monozygous twins.

We have analyzed T cell receptor repertoires in a unique set of thymus samples from a pair of monozygotic twins. While genetics affect the V(D)J rearrangement and generation of junctional sequences, the thymic selections seem largely stochastic and import no detectable inheritable effect at clonal level.

Cryopreserved Venous Allografts in Supra-inguinal Reconstructions: A Single Centre Experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study introduces a novel technique for supra-inguinal arterial reconstructions with cryopreserved femoral vein and caval allografts with a low re-infection rate and an acceptable graft re-intervention rate on early mid term analysis. METHODS: Patients treated from February 2012 to March 2018 with cryopreserved venous allograft reconstructions owing to infection in the supra-inguinal area were reviewed retrospectively. The primary end points were re-infection and the treatment related mortality rate. Secondary end points were 30 and 90 day and overall mortality and graft re-intervention rate. RESULTS: Of the 23 patients treated with cryopreserved venous allografts for infection in aorto-iliac area, 21 (91%) patients underwent reconstruction with cryopreserved femoral veins and two (9%) with vena cava. Indications for treatment were aortic graft infections (n = 12 [52%]), mycotic aneurysms (n = 5 [22%]), femorofemoral prosthetic infections (n = 3 [13%]), anastomotic pseudo-aneurysms (n = 2 [9%]), and aortic thrombosis with intestinal spillage (n = 1 [4%]). In hospital and 90 day mortality were 9% (n = 2); overall treatment related mortality during the median follow up of 15 months was 13% (n = 3). During the follow up, two allografts were re-operated on owing to anastomotic dilatation and one because of re-infection, resulting in a re-intervention rate of 13% (n = 3). None of the grafts was lost and there were no amputations. At the end of follow up 17 patients (74%) were alive. Kaplan-Meier estimation for survival was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI] 57%-95%) at one year and 70% (95% CI 49%-91%) at two years. CONCLUSION: Cryopreserved venous allografts appear to be an infection resistant and reasonably safe reconstruction material in the aorto-iliac axis based upon the early mid term analysis from a single centre experience. Further research is needed to compare their performance with other biological reconstruction material.

Development of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Antibodies Against Vascular Homograft Donor in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND The appearance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies after solid organ transplantation predisposes recipients to graft dysfunction. In theory, vascular homografts, which are widely used in children with congenital heart defects, may cause allosensitization. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this single-center retrospective study, the presence of pre-existing HLA antibodies in pediatric heart transplant (HTx) recipients with a vascular homograft was evaluated in a cohort of 12 patients. HLA antibodies were screened before and after HTx and positive screening results were confirmed and identified using the Luminex® single antigen bead method. Endomyocardial biopsies (EMB) and coronary angiography studies were re-evaluated to assess the prevalence of acute rejections and coronary artery change in these patients. RESULTS At the time of HTx, 8 patients (67%) had HLA antibodies detected by the Luminex assay, none of which were heart donor specific (DSA). All patients had negative leukocyte crossmatch. One patient developed DSAs against homograft donor prior to HTx. After the HTx, 5 patients (42%) developed DSAs against the heart donor and 4 patients (40%) against the homograft donor. In 2 patients (17%), the antibodies were against both heart and homograft donors. The rejection rate or prevalence of coronary artery vasculopathy did not differ significantly between the homograft cohort and our historical controls. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that the prevalence of DSAs against homograft donor prior to HTx is relatively rare. However, almost half of the patients developed DSAs against homograft post-HTx. The clinical importance of these antibodies warrants further studies.

Complete Atrioventricular Septal Defect: Evolution of Results in a Single Center During 50 Years.

BACKGROUND: Operative mortality after complete atrioventricular septal defect (cAVSD) repair has improved vastly. Less improvement has been demonstrated regarding late mortality and reoperation rates, however. There is evident lack of comprehensive population-based studies analyzing the history and progress of the ever-changing operative results. METHODS: This is a 5-million population-based retrospective study of consecutive 388 cAVSD patients operated in Finland between 1962 and 2014. Data were collected using Children's Cardiac Surgical Registry of Children's Hospital at the Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. Mortality data and reoperation rates were analyzed on a decade-by-decade basis. RESULTS: During the early era, overall mortality was 17.4%, operative mortality constituting 10.9%. The operative results have improved significantly over the decades, and eventually, the last decade showed no mortality. A total of 23 late deaths occurred; of these, 20 were directly heart-related. Half of the late mortality occurred during the first postoperative year. The only significant risk factor for overall mortality was an earlier decade of operation (p < 0.001). Reoperation rates have not decreased but slightly increased over decades (p = 0.621), and reoperations have been performed mainly during the first year after the primary operation. Actuarial freedom from left side atrioventricular valve reoperation at 15 years was 90.9%. CONCLUSIONS: There has been an outstanding improvement in surgical results through the years even though the general operative approach has remained the same. Rates of reoperation have not been declining, but the reoperations are dated to early childhood years. The improvement in results has been ongoing.

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia with heart defect has a high risk for hypoplastic left heart syndrome and major extra-cardiac malformations: 10-year national cohort from Finland.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has a well-known risk of congenital heart defects with poor prognosis. This study was conducted to determine the national total prevalence and prenatal detection rates of CDH with heart defects and its association with major extra-cardiac malformations and to further evaluate the impact of the heart defect severity on survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 10-year national cohort was derived from four national registries, including live births, stillbirths, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomalies. The study cohort was sorted according to cardiac defect severity. RESULTS: The total prevalence of CDH with heart defects was 0.6/10 000 births and live birth prevalence 0.3/10 000 live births. Of 145 cases with CDH, 37 (26%) had a concurrent heart defect. The overall prenatal detection rate of heart defects was 41%. The total prevalence (483/10 000) and live birth prevalence (500/10 000) of hypoplastic left heart syndrome were 124 and 250 times higher than in the general population in Finland, respectively. Additional major extra-cardiac malformations were found in 68% of cases. The survival rate for CDH with major heart defects was 11 and 38% with minor heart defects. CONCLUSIONS: The total prevalence of hypoplastic left heart syndrome was significantly higher in CDH patients than in the general population in Finland. Prenatal detection rate for heart defects in CDH patients was 41%. Major extra-cardiac malformations were more common than previously reported. The prognosis of CDH with major heart defects remained poor.

Congenital aortic stenosis: treatment outcomes in a nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate treatment outcomes of pediatric valvar aortic stenosis (AS) in a nationwide follow-up. DESIGN: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) has been the preferred treatment for congenital AS in Finland since the year 2000. All children treated due to isolated AS during 2000-2014 were included in this retrospective study. Treatment outcomes were categorized into Optimal: residual gradient ≤35 mmHg and trivial or no aortic regurgitation (AR), Adequate: gradient ≤35 mmHg with mild AR, or Inadequate: gradient >35 mmHg and/or moderate to severe AR. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients underwent either BAV (n = 54) or surgical valvuloplasty (n = 7) for valvar AS at a median age of 29 days (range 6 hours to 16.9 years). The proportion of patients not requiring reintervention at 1, 5, and 10 years was 61%, 50%, and 29% in neonates and 83%, 73%, and 44% in older patients, respectively (p = .02); without difference between treatment groups. Larger proportion of patients remained free from valve surgery after optimal BAV result than after adequate or inadequate result (p = .01). The reason for the first reintervention was AS in 50%, AR in 36%, and combined aortic valve disease in 16% of cases. Early mortality (before hospital discharge) was 4.9%, and associated with critical AS in neonates. There was no late mortality during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although majority of congenital AS patients require more than one intervention during childhood, an optimal BAV result improves long-term outcome by increasing the proportion of patients remaining free from valve surgery. High long-term freedom from reintervention is attainable also in the neonatal population.

Left-Sided Reoperations After Arterial Switch Operation: A European Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: We sought to report the frequency, types, and outcomes of left-sided reoperations (LSRs) after an arterial switch operation (ASO) for patients with D-transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA) and double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) TGA-type. METHODS: Seventeen centers belonging to the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association (ECHSA) contributed to data collection. We included 111 patients who underwent LSRs after 7,951 ASOs (1.4%) between January 1975 and December 2010. Original diagnoses included D-TGA (n = 99) and DORV TGA-type (n = 12). Main indications for LSR were neoaortic valve insufficiency (n = 52 [47%]) and coronary artery problems (CAPs) (n = 21 [19%]). RESULTS: Median age at reoperation was 8.2 years (interquartile range [IQR], 2.9-14 years). Seven patients died early after LSRs (6.3%); 4 patients with D-TGA (5.9%) and 3 patients with DORV TGA-type (25%) (p = 0.02). Median age at last follow-up was 16.1 years (IQR, 9.9-21.8 years). Seventeen patients (16%) required another reoperation, which was more frequent in patients with DORV- TGA type (4 of 9 [45%]) than in patients with D-TGA (13 of 95 [14%]). Late death occurred in 4 patients (4 of 104 [3.8%]). The majority of survivors were asymptomatic at last clinical examination (84 of 100 [84%]). CONCLUSIONS: Reoperations for residual LSRs are infrequent but may become necessary late after an ASO, predominantly for neoaortic valve insufficiency and CAPs. Risk at reoperation is not negligible, and DORV TGA-type anatomy, as well as procedures on the coronary arteries, were significantly associated with a higher morbidity and a lower overall survival. Recurrent reoperations after LSRs may be required.