This series, to the best of our knowledge, has had the longest follow-up of neonates with critical pulmonary valve stenosis. Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty is a safe and effective treatment, and in our study 75% of the patients were exclusively treated using this technique.
Background: Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic vasculitis. Cardiac complications are frequent and include endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary anomalies. Thus far, endothelial dysfunction in patients with no coronary lesions is poorly understood. Our aim was to access the vascular function in adolescents and young adults long term after Kawasaki disease, but without coronary aneurysms or any other cardiac risk factors. Methods: We carried out a single-centre prospective study in a Portuguese population. We evaluated two groups of subjects: (1) Kawasaki disease patients over 11 years of age, diagnosed >5 years ago, with no coronary lesions or any other risk factors for cardiovascular disease; (2) control group of individuals without cardiovascular risk factors. Patients and controls were clinically assessed. Endo-PAT and carotid intima-media thickness assessment were performed to determine vascular function. Results: In total, 43 Kawasaki disease patients were assessed and compared with 43 controls. Kawasaki disease patients presented a decreased reactive hyperaemia index compared with controls (1.59 ± 0.45 versus 1.98 ± 0.41; p < 0.001). Augmentation index was similar in both groups (−4.5 ± 7 versus −5 ± 9%; p 0.6). The mean carotid intima-media thickness was not significantly increased in the Kawasaki disease group. There were no statistically significant changes with regard to laboratory data. Conclusions: Children with Kawasaki disease may have long-term sequelae, even when there is no discernible coronary artery involvement in the acute stage of the disease. Further research is needed to assess whether known strategies to improve endothelial function would bring potential benefits to Kawasaki disease patients.
Background: The appropriateness of rheumatic mitral valve repair remains controversial due to the risks of recurrent mitral dysfunction and need for reoperation. The aims of this study were to determine the overall short-and long-term outcomes of pediatric rheumatic mitral valve surgery in our center. Methods: Single-center, observational, retrospective study that analyzed the results of rheumatic mitral valve surgery in young patients, consecutively operated by the same team, between 1999 and 2014. Results: We included 116 patients (mean age ¼ 12.6 + 3.5 years), of which 66 (57%) were females. A total of 116 primary surgical interventions and 22 reoperations were performed. Primary valve repair was possible in 86 (74%) patients and valve replacement occurred in 30 (26%). Sixty percent of the patients were followed up beyond three months after surgery (median follow-up time ¼ 9.2 months [minimum ¼ 10 days; maximum ¼ 15 years]). Long-term clinical outcomes were favorable, with most patients in New York Heart Association functional class I (89.6%) and in sinus rhythm (85%). Freedom from reoperation for primary valve repair at six months, five years, and ten years was 96.4% + 0.25%, 72% + 0.72%, and 44.7% + 1.34%, respectively. Freedom from reoperation for primary valve replacement at six months, five years, and ten years was 100%, 91.7% + 0.86%, and 91.7% + 0.86%, respectively. Mitral stenosis as the primary lesion dictated early reintervention. Conclusions: Despite the greater rate of reoperation, especially when the primary lesion was mitral stenosis, rheumatic mitral valve repair provides similar clinical outcomes as compared with replacement, with the advantage of avoiding anticoagulation.
AKI is common and is associated with poor short-term outcomes in this setting. Younger age and higher postoperative serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and lactate levels were powerful predictors of renal injury in this population. The proposed model could be a useful tool for risk stratification of these patients.
The penetrance of HCM in phenotype-negative child relatives was 28% after 3.5 years of follow-up. This underlines the need for long-term monitoring of mutation carriers irrespective of the presence of a positive phenotype.
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