Echocardiographic Assessment of Pulmonary Arteries Pulsatility Index in Fontan Circulation

BACKGROUND: Late complications after Fontan procedure may be due to the absence of pump and pulsatile pulmonary blood flow in this type of palliation. Our aim was to quantify the degree of pulsation by echocardiographic method in patients with extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection (ECTCPC) in comparison with biventricular circulation and few cases of pulsatile Fontan. METHODS: In a case series study, pulsatility index (PI) derived by echocardiographic method were compared between 20 patients with ECTCPC, 6 patients with pulsatile Fontan and 18 normal individual aged 4 to 20 years old. All patients were in New York Heart Association class of I and there was no report of complication. RESULTS: In patients with ECTCPC pulmonary artery branches Doppler flow study showed lower peak and mean velocities compared to the pulsatile Fontan and normal groups. ECTCPC patients had PI of 0.59 +/- 0.14 and 0.59 +/- 0.09 for right and left pulmonary arteries (RPA and LPA) respectively. PI was higher in patients with preserved antegrade flow (RPA PI = 0.94 +/- 0.26, LPA PI = 0.98 +/- 0.27) and in normal individuals (RPA PI = 1.59 +/- 0.12, LPA PI = 1.64 +/- 0.17) for both branches (p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Using a Doppler derived index for pulsatility, patients with ECTCPC had the least pulsation. The pulmonary artery flow pattern in patients with preserved antegrade flow showed higher pulsatility indices in both branches. Normal individuals had the greatest pulsatility index.

Assessment of left atrial ejection force in mildly asphyxiated newborns

Asphyxia-induced cardiac insult is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in the course of perinatal asphyxia. Nowadays, a remarkable trend of interest is sensed introducing a plausible modality for early detection of cardiac insults at the beginning stages of asphyxia. In this study we aimed to evaluate diagnostic utility of transmitral Doppler-derived parameters as well as left atrial ejection force index as a marker of left atrial contractile function in these patients. In a prospective study selected cases of 26 asphyxiated newborns with preserved systolic function underwent conventional transmitral Doppler flow echocardiographic assessment. Left atrial ejection force index was further calculated for all patients. Data was compared with normal ranges of healthy newborns in order to clarify the diagnostic utility of these parameters for determining minor cardiac insults in this age group. We found that mildly asphyxiated newborns showed an increase in the values of left atrial ejection force index [5.44 +/- 2.12 kilodyne vs. 6.66 +/- 2.17 kilodyne, P= 0.02] and left atrial filling fraction [39% +/- 10% vs. 45% +/- 8%, P= 0.01]. Furthermore, the acceleration and deceleration rate of early filling flow peak velocity were decreased in this group of asphyxiated newborns. Assessment of left atrial ejection force in mildly asphyxiated newborns reveals that newborns with even mild asphyxia, although could not be categorized in conventional grading system, suffer to some extent from a ventricular filling abnormality. This type of latent ventricular filling abnormality could simply be unmasked by calculation of atrial ejection force index

Wolfram syndrome: endocrinological features in a case series study and review of the literature

Wolfram syndrome [WFS] is a rare and complex genetic disorder referred to as DIDMOAD [diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and deafness]. All insulin dependent diabetic patients presented over a period of 10 years, who had optic atrophy or a positive family history of WFS, were enrolled in the study. Criteria for the diagnosis of WFS were the presence of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM] along with optic atrophy unexplained by any other disease and/or some other abnormalities associated with WFS. WFS has been diagnosed in sixteen patients, 9 males and 7 females aged 5.5 to 22yr [median age of 13.4 yr]. Nine patients [more than half] came from consanguineous marriages. The earliest manifestation of WFS was IDDM [at a median age of 5.4yrs]. All patients developed non-autoimmune IDDM before the age of 8 years old. Only two cases were ketoacidotic. Common diabetic complications of proliferative retinopathy, glomerulosclerosis and neuropathy were remarkably absent in our patients even with long-lasting diabetes mellitus. Antidiuretic hormone [ADH]-responsive diabetes insipidus was confirmed by water deprivation test in 8 patients [50%]. The incidence of diabetes insipidus in our patients was lower compared to other studies. Growth retardation, as short stature and a weight below the 5th percentile for age and gender, was found in 13 [81%] and 5 [31%] patients respectively. Early diagnosis and proper treatment aimed at relieving the symptoms and preventing the future complications are of paramount value and importance

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and aortic arch obstructive malformations.

We describe two newborn infants with aortic arch obstructive malformations who became anuric after initiation of captopril. Since angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors can alter renal blood flow by reduction in angiotensin II and blocking autoregulation phenomenon, it is important to use them with great caution in neonates with aortic arch obstructive malformations, while monitoring their renal function closely.