The natural history of aortoarteritis was studied in 88 patients (54 women and 34 men). The average age was 24.0±8.8 years at onset of symptoms and 28.3±9.9 years at diagnosis. The inflammatory disease involving the aorta, the arteries arising from the aorta, and, frequently, the pulmonary arteries. The inflammation leads to either stenosis and occlusion of the involved artery or aneurysm formation or both.1-5 The arterial lesions can lead to secondary hypertension, retinopathy, cardiac involvement, cerebrovascular events, and premature death. The course and prognosis of patients with aortoarteritis show wide variation, and few authors have published systematic studies documenting the natural history of this disease.6-9 While the etiology of aortoarteritis remains unknown, various modes of treatment including steroids, vascular surgery, and balloon angioplasty have been used for management of these patients.7"10-13 To make a decision about elective intervention, the physician must have data on the natural history and be able to make an objective assessment of the prognosis in the individual patient. Our study documents the clinical course, complications, and survival of 88 patients with aortoarteritis who had systematic follow-ups at our center.

This international collaboration allowed us to determine that PROs in ConHD vary as a function of patient-related factors as well as the countries in which patients live.

This study emphasizes that, in order to gain a deeper understanding of patients' functioning, health-care providers should focus not only on objective indicators of illness severity such as the complexity of the heart defect, but also on subjective illness experiences.

A number of guidelines are available for the management of congenital heart diseases (CHD) from infancy to adult life. However, these guidelines are for patients living in high-income countries. Separate guidelines, applicable to Indian children, are required when recommending an intervention for CHD, as often these patients present late in the course of the disease and may have coexisting morbidities and malnutrition. Guidelines emerged following expert deliberations at the National Consensus Meeting on Management of Congenital Heart Diseases in India, held on August 10 and 11, 2018, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. The meeting was supported by Children's HeartLink, a nongovernmental organization based in Minnesota, USA. The aim of the study was to frame evidence-based guidelines for (i) indications and optimal timing of intervention in common CHD; (ii) follow-up protocols for patients who have undergone cardiac surgery/catheter interventions for CHD; and (iii) indications for use of pacemakers in children. Evidence-based recommendations are provided for indications and timing of intervention in common CHD, including left-to-right shunts (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, atrioventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, and others), obstructive lesions (pulmonary stenosis, aortic stenosis, and coarctation of aorta), and cyanotic CHD (tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great arteries, univentricular hearts, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, Ebstein's anomaly, and others). In addition, protocols for follow-up of postsurgical patients are also described, disease wise. Guidelines are also given on indications for implantation of permanent pacemakers in children.

We analysed the incidence and spectrum of congenital heart disease (CHD) in the Sultanate of Oman from 1994 to 1996. CHD was detected in 992 of 139,707 live births (incidence 7.1/1000 live births). The common CHDs were ventricular septal defect (24.9%), atrial septal defect (14.4%) and patent ductus arteriosus (10.3%). The frequency of atrioventricular septal defects (5.9%) was higher than reported from other countries. Age at diagnosis was under 1 month in 38% and 1-12 months in 40%. Cyanotic CHD was found in 21.7% of the whole group and 35% of neonates. Although this was a hospital-based study, we believe we included almost all the infants and children with CHD in the country. The incidence and pattern of CHD in Oman were similar to those reported from developed countries in Europe and America, except for a higher frequency of atrioventricular septal defects. The high prevalence of consanguinity in the country did not affect the overall incidence of CHD.

Religiosity/spirituality is an independent predictor for some PROs, but has differential impact across countries.

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Sixteen patients with aortoarteritis underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty for dilatation of 19 stenotic arteries. Sites included renal arteries (9), subclavian arteries (5), innominate artery (1), abdominal aorta (2), and descending thoracic aorta (2). Angiographic success was obtained in 14 lesions (74%) and partial success in 1 stenosis. The procedure was unsuccessful in 3 renal and 1 subclavian stenoses (21%). There were three complications. Clinically, there was cure of hypertension in three patients and improvement in six patients who had hypertension. Relief of claudication or return of pulsations was observed in seven patients. There was no evidence of any recurrence in the follow-up period (2-33 months). We conclude that percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is a safe and effective procedure for treating symptomatic stenotic lesions in aortoarteritis.