Patterns of congenital heart disease among children referred for echocardiography at Ibn Sina teaching hospital/ Mukalla-Hadhramout

The study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of congenital heart diseases in children referred for echocardiographic examination in Ibin Sina teaching hospital. This is a descriptive retrospective study done on all patients with confirmed diagnosis of congenital heart disease referred for echocardiography between 1[st] October 2008 to 30[th] September 2009, the patients were assessed clinically by the research team and had echocardiograph examination done. A total of 112 children were included in the study. There were 62 males [55.4%] and 50 females [44.6%] with a male: female ratio of 1.2: 1. Ventricular septal defect was the commonest congenital heart disease with 39 [34.8%] patients followed by tetralogy of fallot comprising 14 patients [12.5%]. The most common pattern of congenital heart disease was correctable lesions, ventricular septal defect followed by tetralogy of fallot, patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonary stenosis and atrial septal defect. Early detection of congenital heart disease is important for proper management and to avoid complications.

Malignant osteopetrosis: a rare cause of anemia

Normocytic anemia is caused by bone marrow hyoproliferation, red cell maturation defects or decreased red cell survival [blood loss/hemolysis]. Osteopetrosis [OP] is a rare, inherited disorder leading to increased bone density on radiographs. It is classified as autosomal recessive [AR] and autosomal dominant [AD] types. AROP [malignant] is a life-threatening condition, which classically manifests in the first few months of life, by short stature, macrocephaly and frontal bossing, blindness, deafness, and facial palsy. The most severe complication of AROP is bone marrow suppression, resulting in pancytopenia and secondary expansion of extramedullary haeatop-oietic sites such as the liver and spleen. The present case report is a case study of a 4-year-old boy presented with severe anemia and other manifestations of malignant AROP with recurrent blood transfusion. After clinical, hematological and radiological evaluation, the diagnosis of osteopetrosis was established.