Intrauterine Growth Retardation is a Risk Factor for Anthracycline Toxicity.

BACKGROUND: Anthracycline chemotherapy is used to treat a variety of cancers. However, late cardiac effects of anthracycline chemotherapy, such as subclinical left ventricular dilatation and/or dysfunction, have been observed in more than half of long-term survivors of childhood cancers. A major risk factor for anthracycline cardiotoxicity is intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We assessed the significance of IUGR as an important risk factor for late cardiotoxic effects of anthracycline therapy in asymptomatic long-term survivors of childhood cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 61 survivors of childhood cancers. Cardiac functions were prospectively studied using both conventional and non-conventional echocardiographic methods (two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography) after completion of the treatment. The patients were divided into two groups based on their birth weights: Group 1 (patients with IUGR) and Group 2 (patients with normal birth weight). RESULTS: Conventional echocardiography revealed a similar and normal range of left ventricle systolic and diastolic functions in both groups. However, global longitudinal and circumferential strain values demonstrated subclinical left ventricular systolic dysfunction in both groups as compared with normal reference strain values. Furthermore, Group 1 patients had significantly lower global longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rate values than those in Group 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic long-term survivors of childhood cancers with a history of IUGR may have an increased risk of anthracycline cardiotoxicity due to the low content of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). IUGR is a risk factor for late anthracycline cardiotoxicity.

Acute haemorrhagic pericarditis: an unusual presentation of Chlamydophila pneumoniae pneumonia infection.

CHLAMYDOPHILA PNEUMONIAE: , a common cause of respiratory tract infections, rarely leads to serious conditions. A 13-year-old boy with serologically confirmed C. pneumoniae infection presented with pneumonia complicated by pericardial and bilateral pleural effusions. He had a large haemorrhagic pericardial effusion from which 1000 ml of fluid was aspirated over 10 days and a right haemorrhagic pleural effusion which required a chest drain and the removal of 700 ml over 5 days. The addition of clarithromycin to ceftriaxone appeared to enhance recovery. As far as we are aware, this is the first report in the English literature of massive haemorrhagic pericardial and pleural effusions in children owing to C. pneumoniae infection.

What is the Significance of Elevated Troponin I in Children and Adolescents? A Diagnostic Approach.

Troponin is a marker that displays cardiac injury quickly and accurately. In adults, troponin elevation is usually associated with coronary artery disease and requires urgent cardiac catheterization. In healthy children, myocardial injury is rare and may develop due to many different causes. Therefore, troponin elevation in children and adolescents does not usually require emergency cardiac catheterization. The aim of this study is to assess the most common causes of troponin elevation in children and adolescents and to show which diagnostic tests are helpful in assessing pediatric patients with elevated troponin. Patients who had been diagnosed with troponin I elevation (> 0.06 ng/ml) at Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity, Children's Health and Disease Training and Research Hospital between 2007 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery and those with severe congenital heart disease were excluded from the study. The medical records of the patients were examined and age, gender, diagnostic tests, and diagnosis were evaluated. During the study period, the records of 972 patients were obtained. 213 patients were excluded from the study because of heart surgery, congenital heart disease, and neonatal asphyxia or sepsis. Of the remaining 759 patients, 58% were male, 42% were female, and the median age was 4 years (3 days to 17 years). The most frequent causes are myopericarditis (n: 164), drug intoxications (n: 85), carbon monoxide poisoning (n: 74), perimyocarditis (n: 65), and intensive inhalation ß agonist use in acute asthma and lower respiratory tract infections (n: 70). Patients diagnosed with myocarditis and myopericarditis were admitted with a complaint of chest pain, and the diagnosis was made by history, physical examination, ECG, and echocardiographic findings. Unlike adults, troponin I elevation may be associated with many cardiac and non-cardiac pathologies in children. The most common pathologies in cardiac etiology are myopericarditis and perimyocarditis and can be diagnosed by history, physical examination, ECG, and echocardiography. Cardiac catheterization is not necessary except for rare cardiac pathologies and does not alter the prognosis.

True aneurysmal dilatation of a valved bovine jugular vein conduit after right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction: a rare complication.

Valved bovine jugular vein conduit is considered a suitable choice for paediatric population with congenital heart defect requiring right ventricle to main pulmonary artery connection. However, complications related to the use of this device have been reported, with conduit failure occurring mainly as a consequence of stenosis, conduit thrombosis, and valve regurgitation. We present a case of aneurysmal conduit failure of a valved bovine jugular vein conduit used to reconstruct the right ventricular outflow tract.

Evaluation of long-term cardiac side effects of anthracycline chemotherapy by conventional and non-conventional echocardiographic methods in childhood cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Anthracycline chemotherapeutic agents carry the well-recognised risk of cardiac toxicity. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effect of anthracycline chemotherapy on the biventricular function in childhood cancer survivors using tissue Doppler imaging and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 45 survivors of childhood cancers and 50 healthy age-matched control patients. Cardiac function was prospectively studied with conventional echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging, and speckle tracking echocardiography after completion of treatment. The same analysis was performed on matched controls. RESULTS: There was no difference in age, gender, height, and weight between the study and control groups. The mean anthracycline dose was 240 ± 106 mg/m2 and the mean remission duration was 8.2 ± 5 years (1-20 years) in the study group. Conventional echocardiography showed similar ejection fraction, shortening fraction, and left ventricle end-diastolic diameter in both groups. Mitral lateral and septal tissue Doppler imaging showed normal but according to control group relatively sub-normal systolic and diastolic function in patient group. The global longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rates were significantly lower in the patient group compared to control group. Correlation analysis revealed a negative and significant correlation between total anthracycline dose and global longitudinal and circumferential strain and strain rates. CONCLUSION: Sub-clinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction may not be detected by conventional echocardiographic methods which are frequently used in daily practice. Sub-clinical systolic and diastolic dysfunction may be detected more sensitively by echocardiographic method such as speckle tracking echocardiography in childhood cancer survivors.

Persistent left superior vena cava accompanying congenital heart disease in children: Experience of a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: This study focuses on determining concomitant persistent left superior vena cava (SVC) in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Between 2005 and 2012, a total of 2.663 patients with CHD, 88 (3.3%) of whom were diagnosed with persistent left SVC, were evaluated retrospectively. The demographic characteristics of patients, clinical and radiographic findings, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and angiography results obtained from the patients' records were reviewed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 9.5 months, and 46 of the 88 (52.3%) patients were female. The most common concomitant CHD were ventricular septal defect, double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). When the patients were compared according to their CHD, persistent left SVC frequency was significantly higher in those with DORV (P<.001), TOF (P=.04), patent ductus arteriosus (P=.01), and atrial septal defect (P=.03). Eighty-three of the 88 (94.3%) patients with persistent left SVC had right SVC, and 5 (5.7%) had absence of the right SVC. Twenty-seven of the 83 (32.5%) patients with double SVC had connected normal innominate vein. In all cases, right aortic arch association was seen in 14 (15.9%) patients. Eighty-four (95.4%) of the patients were diagnosed by echocardiography prior to catheter angiography. Persistent left SVC drained to the coronary sinus in all cases. CONCLUSION: Increased awareness about the association of certain CHD with persistent left SVC and a careful echocardiographic examination can facilitate the diagnosis of persistent left SVC. In addition, precise prior diagnosis of persistent left SVC can prevent complications during surgery.

A pediatric case of anaphylaxis due to octreotide.

Octreotide is an octapeptide that mimics natural somatostatin pharmacologically. It is a potent inhibitor of growth hormone, glucagon and insulin, which is used for treatment of acromegaly, symptomatic treatment of carsinoid tumours, and vasoactive intestinal peptide secreting tumors. It is also used for chylothorax, chemotherapy induced diarrhea and, as it inhibits the exocrine production of pancreatic enzymes, for acute and chronic pancreatitis. Gallbladder stones, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia, headache, and abdominal discomfort are some of the common adverse effects of octreotide and it may rarely cause anaphylaxis. We present here a child who had chronic pancreatitis and had an anaphylactic reaction to octreotide. To our knowledge this is the first pediatric case of anaphylaxis with octreotide who was successfully desensitized.