Sudden Cardiac Arrest During a Sedated Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study in a Nonsyndromic Child with Evolving Supravalvar Aortic Stenosis Due to Familial ELN Mutation.

Supravalvar aortic stenosis (SVAS) is a less common but clinically important form of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and commonly associated with Williams syndrome (WS). SVAS outside of WS may also occur sporadically or in a familial form, often with identifiable mutations in the elastin (ELN) gene. While risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with SVAS has been extensively described in the context of WS, less is known about risk in patients with isolated SVAS. We report a case of a nonsyndromic two-year-old boy with evolving manifestations of SVAS who developed sudden cardiac arrest and death during a sedated cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study. A strong family history of SVAS was present and targeted genetic testing identified an ELN gene mutation in the boy's affected father and other paternal relatives. We review risk factors found in the literature for SCA in SVAS patients and utilize this case to raise awareness of the risk of cardiac events in these individuals even in the absence of WS or severe disease. This case also underscores the importance of genetic testing, including targeted panels specifically looking for ELN gene mutations, in all patients with SVAS even in the absence of phenotypic concerns for WS or other genetic syndromes.

Fate of the Left Pulmonary Artery and Thoracic Aorta After Transcatheter Patent Ductus Arteriosus Closure in Low Birth Weight Premature Infants.

Transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus closure (TCPC) is an emerging treatment for low birth weight extremely premature neonates (EPNs). Left pulmonary artery (LPA) and descending aorta (DAO) obstruction are described device-related complications, however, data on mid- and long-term vascular outcomes are lacking. A retrospective analysis of EPNs who underwent successful TCPC at our institution from 03/2013 to 12/2018 was performed. Two-dimensional echocardiography and spectral Doppler velocities from various time points before and after TCPC were used to identify LPA and DAO flow disturbances. A total of 44 EPNs underwent successful TCPC at a median (range) procedural weight of 1150 g (755-2500 g). Thirty-two (73%) patients were closed with the AVP II and 12 (27%) with the Amplatzer Piccolo device. LPA and DAO velocities on average remained within normal limits and improved spontaneously in long-term follow up (26.1 months, range 1-75 months). One patient, who had concerning LPA flow characteristics immediately after device implant (peak velocity 2.6 m/s) developed progressive LPA stenosis requiring stent placement 3 months post-procedure. In the remaining infants, including 7 (16%) who developed LPA and 3 (7%) who developed DAO flow disturbances (range 2-2.4 m/s), all had progressive normalization of flow velocities over time. TCPC can be performed safely in EPNs with a low incidence of LPA and DAO obstruction. In the absence of significant progressive vascular obstruction in the early post-procedure period, mild increases in LPA and DAO flow velocities tend to improve spontaneously and normalize in long-term follow-up.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Dextrocardia with Complex Congenital Heart Disease Using Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE) and a Literature Review.

Fetal dextrocardia is a type of cardiac malposition where the major axis from base to apex points to the right side. This condition is usually associated with a wide spectrum of complex cardiac defects. As a result, dextrocardia is conceptually difficult to understand and diagnose on prenatal ultrasound. The advantage of four-dimensional sonography with spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) is that this modality can facilitate fetal cardiac examination. A novel method known as fetal intelligent navigation echocardiography (FINE) allows automatic generation of nine standard fetal echocardiography views in normal hearts by applying intelligent navigation technology to STIC volume datasets. In fetuses with congenital heart disease, FINE is also able to demonstrate abnormal cardiac anatomy and relationships when there is normal cardiac axis and position. However, this technology has never been applied to cases of cardiac malposition. We report herein for the first time, a case of fetal dextrocardia and situs solitus with complex congenital heart disease in which the FINE method was invaluable in diagnosing multiple abnormalities and defining complex anatomic relationships. We also review the literature on prenatal sonographic diagnosis of dextrocardia (with an emphasis on situs solitus), as well as tricuspid atresia with its associated cardiac features.

Effect of surgical subspecialty training on patent ductus arteriosus ligation outcomes.

PURPOSE: Surgical outcomes data for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation come primarily from single institution case series. The purpose of this study was to evaluate national PDA ligation trends, and to compare outcomes between pediatric general (GEN) and pediatric cardiothoracic (CT) surgeons. METHODS: The Pediatric Health Information System database was queried to identify neonates who underwent PDA ligation from 2006 through 2009. Outcomes evaluated included surgical morbidity, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and total charges. Outcomes were compared between pediatric general and pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons. RESULTS: The records of 1,482 neonates who underwent PDA ligation were identified and analyzed. Overall mean gestational age was 26 ± 3 weeks and birth weight was 888 ± 428 g. The majority of patients among both surgeons had birth weights of ≤1,000 g (77.2%) and were born at ≤27-week gestation (81.5%). Most of the PDA ligations were performed by pediatric CT surgeons (n = 1,196, 80.7%). The mortality rate did not differ by surgeon subspecialty training (GEN = 5.2%, CT 7.9%, p = 0.16). Neonates in the cardiothoracic surgeon cohort showed lower length of stay (p < 0.001-0.05) and total hospital charges (p < 0.05) among patients with birth weight ≤1,200 g. Proxy measures of surgical morbidity-gastrostomy, fundoplication, and tracheostomy-showed no significant differences between the two surgical subspecialists overall or across birth weight subgroups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data provide a contemporary snapshot of PDA ligation outcomes at American children's hospitals. Pediatric general surgeons achieve comparable outcomes performing PDA ligation compared to pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons.

Prenatal diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia using: Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE).

Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, a severe form of tetralogy of Fallot, is characterized by the absence of flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary arteries. This cardiac abnormality is challenging and complex due to its many different anatomic variants. The main source of variability is the pulmonary artery anatomy, ranging from well-formed, confluent pulmonary artery branches to completely absent native pulmonary arteries replaced by major aorto-pulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) that provide all of the pulmonary blood flow. Since the four-chamber view is usually normal on prenatal sonography, the diagnosis may be missed unless additional cardiac views are studied. Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE) is a novel method developed recently that allows automatic generation of nine standard fetal echocardiography views in normal hearts by applying "intelligent navigation" technology to spatiotemporal image correlation volume datasets. We report herein for the first time, two different cases of tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia having variable sources of pulmonary blood flow in which the prenatal diagnosis was made successfully using the FINE method. Virtual Intelligent Sonographer Assistance (VIS-Assistance®) and automatic labeling (both features of FINE) were very helpful in making such diagnosis.

Noninvasive Echocardiographic Measures of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Children and Young Adults with Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cardiomyopathy (CM) are at increased risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH). Data are lacking on the use of noninvasive PH measures by echocardiography in patients with CM. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between Doppler-derived echocardiographic indices and catheterization-based measurement of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in children and young adults with CM. METHODS: Imaging studies were retrospectively reviewed from pediatric patients with CM who underwent both echocardiography and cardiac catheterization within a 72-hour period. The ratio of peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity to right ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral, the S/D ratio, and right ventricular myocardial performance index were correlated with invasive PVR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were developed to determine cutoffs for detecting PVR ≥ 6 indexed Wood units, a value associated with higher heart transplantation risk. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients with CM (median age, 11.7 years; range, 0.5-21 years) met the criteria for analysis, the majority (n = 17 [74%]) of whom had dilated CM. Linear regression showed significant correlations between echocardiography-based ratio of peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity to right ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral, S/D ratio, and right ventricular myocardial performance index versus invasive PVR (r = 0.84, r = 0.72, and r = 0.72, respectively, P < .001). All echocardiographic measures showed high sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values to detect PVR ≥ 6 indexed Wood units, with ratio of peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity to right ventricular outflow tract velocity-time integral demonstrating the highest area under the curve (0.958; 95% CI, 0.866-1). CONCLUSIONS: Right-sided Doppler-derived echocardiographic indices correlate with PVR measured by cardiac catheterization in children and young adults with CM. These parameters may serve as useful adjuncts in serial assessment of right ventricular hemodynamics in this population.