Clinical and Echocardiographic Assessment of Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Introduction: Cardiomyopathy is the disorder of the heart muscles which can be dilated, hypertrophic or restrictive type. Dilated cardiomyopathy is caused by genetic and non-genetic causes but many of the causes are still not known. Echocardiography is an important imaging technique to diagnose and manage dilated cardiomyopathy. Aims: This study aims to assess the clinical and echocardiographic findings among patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in Nepalgunj Medical College from January 2021 to June 2021. A total of 61 patients with dilated Cardiomyopathy were enrolled after obtaining written informed consent. Clinical examination and echocardiographic findings were recorded and data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: The participants included 31 men and 30 women with dilated cardiomyopathy. The mean age of the participants was 58.49 + 15.46 years. The most common complaint was shortness of breath 84.5% and the most common clinical presentation was bilateral basal crepitation 98.4%. The patients mostly had diastolic left ventricle internal diameter of 5.5-6 cm and ejection fraction of 21-30%. Mitral regurgitation was observed among most 58(95.1%) of the patients. Conclusion: This study concludes that shortness of breath and bilateral basal crepitation are the most common presentation. Left ventricle dilation, reduced ejection fraction and mitral regurgitation are seen among majority of the patients.

Clinical and necropsy evaluation of endocardial fibroelastosis in a mixed-breed cat with left side heart failure

A two-month-old, male intact, mixed-breed cat weighing 0.6 kg was presented with respiratory distress and anorexia. From the transthoracic echocardiographic, reduced fractional shortening (FS) and increased endocardial echogenicity were recognised with severe congestive heart failure (CHF). The kitten was administered an antibiotic and pimobendane under oxygen supplementation in an ICU cage. However, the respiratory condition worsened and the cat died the next day, and the subsequent necropsy and histopathology examinations confirmed endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE). There is a lack of information regarding the antemortem cardiac function evaluated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in EFE cases. We report on the echocardiographic findings including the TDI in the EFE cat with a concomitant necropsy and histopathology confirmation in this paper. The echocardiographic findings showed presence of a ventricular false tendon within the left ventricle, a decrease in the left ventricular contractility (FS 11.1%, and a marked CHF). In this case, the echocardiographic findings were consistent with the human counterpart. However, these findings were like those of dilated cardiomyopathy and, hence, non-specific to EFE. As a result, veterinarians should keep in mind that endocardial fibroelastosis might be a possible reason for respiratory distress resulting from CHF with a low fractional shortening in young cats.

The role and efficacy of routine high-sensitivity troponin T screening in paediatric COVID-19

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and role of high-sensitivity troponin T in children with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and also the correlation of troponin T levels with symptoms, and echocardiographic findings were analysed. Methods: Two hundred and fourteen patients with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between the dates of 28 March and 15 August 12020 were enrolled in this retrospective single-centre study. Patients with comorbidities and diagnosed as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children were excluded. Demographic data, clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated. The patients were classified and compared according to the troponin positivity. The correlation of troponin T with symptoms and echocardiographic findings was analysed. Results: The most common symptoms in the whole study group were fever (53.3%) and cough (24.8%). Troponin T levels were elevated in 15 (7%) patients. The most common symptom in patients with troponin positivity was also fever (73.3%). Troponin T positivity was significantly higher in patients under the age of 12 months and troponin T levels were negatively correlated with age. C-reactive protein levels were elevated in 77 (36%) of the patients in the whole group and 7 (46.7%) of 15 patients with troponin positivity. C-reactive protein levels were similar between groups. Conclusion: Routine troponin screening does not yield much information in previously healthy paediatric COVID-19 patients without any sign of myocardial dysfunction. Elevated troponin levels may be observed but it is mostly a sign of myocardial injury without detectable myocardial dysfunction in this group of patients.

Frequent Constriction-Like Echocardiographic Findings in Elite Athletes Following Mild COVID-19: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Background: The cardiovascular effects of SARS-CoV-2 in elite athletes are still a matter of debate. Accordingly, we sought to perform a comprehensive echocardiographic characterization of post-COVID athletes by comparing them to a non-COVID athlete cohort.Methods: 107 elite athletes with COVID-19 were prospectively enrolled (P-CA; 23 ± 6 years, 23% female) 107 healthy athletes were selected as a control group using propensity score matching (N-CA). All athletes underwent 2D and 3D echocardiography. Left (LV) and right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volumes (EDVi) and ejection fractions (EF) were quantified. To characterize LV longitudinal deformation, 2D global longitudinal strain (GLS) and the ratio of free wall vs. septal longitudinal strain (FWLS/SLS) were also measured. To describe septal flattening (SF—frequently seen in P-CA), LV eccentricity index (EI) was calculated.Results: P-CA and N-CA athletes had comparable LV and RVEDVi (P-CA vs. N-CA; 77 ± 12 vs. 78 ± 13mL/m2; 79 ± 16 vs. 80 ± 14mL/m2). P-CA had significantly higher LVEF (58 ± 4 vs. 56 ± 4%, p < 0.001), while LVGLS values did not differ between P-CA and N-CA (−19.0 ± 1.9 vs. −18.8 ± 2.2%). EI was significantly higher in P-CA (1.13 ± 0.16 vs. 1.01 ± 0.05, p < 0.001), which was attributable to a distinct subgroup of P-CA with a prominent SF (n = 35, 33%), further provoked by inspiration. In this subgroup, the EI was markedly higher compared to the rest of the P-CA (1.29 ± 0.15 vs. 1.04 ± 0.08, p < 0.001), LVEDVi was also significantly higher (80 ± 14 vs. 75 ± 11 mL/m2, p < 0.001), while RVEDVi did not differ (82 ± 16 vs. 78 ± 15mL/m2). Moreover, the FWLS/SLS ratio was significantly lower in the SF subgroup (91.7 ± 8.6 vs. 97.3 ± 8.2, p < 0.01). P-CA with SF experienced symptoms less frequently (1.4 ± 1.3 vs. 2.1 ± 1.5 symptom during the infection, p = 0.01).Conclusions: Elite athletes following COVID-19 showed distinct morphological and functional cardiac changes compared to a propensity score-matched control athlete group. These results are mainly driven by a subgroup, which presented with some echocardiographic features characteristic of constrictive pericarditis.

Atypical Kawasaki disease in an early infant, a diagnostic challenge: Case report

A 4.5-month-old girl presented to us with continuous fever for 10 days and loose stools for 2 days. She received short courses of multiple oral antibiotics during this period however, was not relieved. Initial investigations were suggestive of urinary tract infection for which broad spectrum antibiotics were started. However, fever persisted even after 72 h of antibiotics. Blood counts showed persistently high total leukocyte count and increasing platelet count, along with high C-reactive protein. Consequently, a diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) was suspected, which was supported by echocardiographic findings. After she received intravenous immunoglobulins, her fever subsided and lab parameters showed significant improvement. This case highlights an unusual presentation of KD in an uncommonly young age group without much clinical pointers except for persistent fever.

Cardiovascular manifestations and echocardiographic findings in pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C): A retrospective study

Background: The multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been described recently during COVID-19 pandemic. It is a delayed post-infectious response with a lag time of 4–6 weeks following the exposure to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), involving multiple systems which is being increasingly reported worldwide. Aim: The study aims to investigate and report the cardiovascular manifestation and echocardiographic findings in pediatric patients diagnosed with MIS-C. Materials and Methods: The present study is a retrospective analysis of clinical data gathered from 40 admitted children diagnosed with MIS-C. The study was conducted for 1 year (from 1st June 2020 to 30th May 2021) at Cheluvamba Hospital, a tertiary care center attached to Mysore Medical College And Research Institute, Mysore, Karnataka. Results: Out of 40 children, 21 (52.5%) had manifestation of cardiovascular system in the form of shock, requiring ionotropic support and care at the Intensive Care Unit. Among them, 90% patients show elevated cardiac biomarker (Troponin T), 33.3% had two-dimensional echocardiographic (2D echo) findings in which 9.5% show coronary artery dilatation and 23.8% show left ventricular hypertrophy. Conclusion: MIS-C is a hyperinflammatory syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cardiac involvement is evidenced by perturbation of cardiac chamber size, function, coronary artery abnormalities, and elevated cardiac biomarker. Though, most of the patients responded to the initial treatment and recovered, there is scarcity of data regarding long-term cardiovascular complication.

Myocarditis in a Pediatric Patient with Campylobacter Enteritis: A Case Report and Literature Review

Myocarditis represents a potential complication of various infectious and noninfectious agents and a common diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Data regarding Campylobacter-associated myocarditis are limited. Here, a case of a 13-year-old female with Campylobacter jejuni gastroenteritis complicated by myocarditis is presented, followed by a literature review in order to retrieve information about Campylobacter-associated carditis in the pediatric population. A search on MEDLINE/PubMed yielded 7relevant cases in the last 20 years. Most of them (six/seven) were males and the mean age was 16.1 years. All patients presented with gastrointestinal symptoms followed in six/seven cases by chest pain within two to seven days. Campylobacter was isolated from stool cultures in six patients; abnormal electrocardiographic findings were detected in six; and abnormal echocardiographic findings in three of the cases. Five patients were treated with antibiotics. Full recovery was the clinical outcome in six patients, whereas one patient died. Concerning the nonspecific symptoms of patients with myocarditis, high clinical suspicion of this complication is necessary in cases where patients with a recent infection present with chest pain and elevated cardiac biomarkers.

Echocardiographic Findings in Children of Chronic Kidney Disease

Background: Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are at significantly increased risk for both morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). Determining the spectrum of echocardiographic abnormalities in these patients can help in reduction of morbidity and mortality from CKD. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was held on department of Pediatric Nephrology, Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Dhaka, during July 2018 to December 2018 (Six months). A total of thirty-six children with chronic kidney disease with creatinine clearance <60ml/min/1.73 m2 and age ranged from 2 to 16 years on supportive treatment and hemodialysis were included. In control group equal number of age and sex matched healthy children without any preexisting renal or cardiovascular diseases were included. Both study group and control group were assessed for cardiovascular findings by echocardiography. Results: The mean age was 9.09±3.01 years (mean±SD) in case group and 7.85±3.69 years (mean±SD) in control group. Regarding sex, 22 patients (61.1%) in the case group were male and 14 (38.9%) were female. In this study, in CKD patients significant (p<0.001) difference was observed in following cardiac parameters, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) (38.34 vs 34.52), left ventricular end systolic diameter LVESD (26.64 vs 20.75), interventricular septal thickness (IVS) (9.34 vs 7.27), left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) (8.36 vs 7.46), ejection fraction (EF) (56.68% vs 70.36%), fractional shortening (FS) (31.88% vs 38.30%) and peak early diastole velocity/peak atrial filling velocity (E/A ratio) (1.15 vs 1.45) when compared to control group. Most common cardiac abnormality in children with chronic kidney disease were left ventricular systolic dysfunction (44.4%), mild pulmonary hypertension (30.6%) and left atrial dilatation (27. 8%). Conclusion: Left ventricular systolic dysfunction was the commonest echocardiographic findings in CKD children. There was also significant difference in diastolic function between study and control group.