Pulsoterapia (altas doses de metil-prednisolona venosa) em crianças com cardite reumática. Estudo prospectivo de 40 episódios / Pulse Therapy (High Dosis of Intravenous Methyl-Prednisolone) in Children with Rheumatic Carditis. Prospective Study of 40 Episodes

PURPOSE--To use corticosteroids in a shorter period to treat rheumatic carditis, keeping the patient in the hospital; and verify the time interval of normalization of rheumatic activity tests with this method. METHODS--In 36 patients (40 episodes) intravenous methyl-prednisolone (1g/day) was administered. The number of series ranged from two to four, according to severity of the disease. The ages ranged from 6 to 17 years old, all of them fulfilled the criteria of Jones for diagnosis of rheumatic fever. They were submitted to treatment to eradicate the streptococcus, worms, PPD and dental focus extraction, before use of corticosteroids. RESULTS--In all patients the signals and symptoms of heart failure improved. In six cases occurred complications during pulse therapy that were easily controlled with clinical measures. Two series of methylprednisolone were used in 10 children, three in nine and four in 21 episodes. Eight patients were sent to valve replacement. The interval of time that laboratory tests of rheumatic activity became negative was 41.2 +/- 13.3 days. CONCLUSION--Using this IV corticotherapy it was possible decrease the amount of days of this medication, keeping the patient in the hospital. In this way we eliminate the problem of interruption of the treatment. There was not significative difference between oral and IV corticotherapy in order to the laboratory tests become negative.

Endocardite infecciosa em crianças: estudo de 30 casos / Infective endocarditis in children: study of thirty cases

Objetivo - Rever a casuística em crianças internadas com endocardite infecciosa para se analisar a porcentagem de positividade das culturas, a morbidade, a resposta terapêutica e os achados mais importantes para o diagnóstico. Casuística e métodos - Foram estudados 30 pacientes com endocardite infecciosa de 10 dias a 16 anos, divididos em dois grupos: Grupo I - 15 que ficaram curadas e Grupo II - 15 que evoluíram para o óbito. Resultados - A porcentagem de isolamento de germes foi 63 por cento nos dois grupos. Bactérias Gram-positivas predominaram no grupo I e Gram-negativas no grupo II. No grupo I seis tinham cardiopatia congênita e cinco valvulopatia reumática. Neste grupo havia sete crianças com doenças ou fatores de imunodepressäo

Insuficiência tricúspide severa por infarto do músculo papilar anterior do ventrículo direito secundário à hipóxia neonatal / Critical tricuspid insufficiency due to papillary muscle infarction of the right ventricle in a distressed newborn infant

Os autores relatam um caso fatal de insuficiência tricúspide severa observada no período neonatal, devida a infarto do músculo papilar anterior do ventrículo direito (VD), secundário à hipóxia. Logo após o nascimento o bebê necessitou de manobras de ressuscitaçäo e, ao exame do precórdio, havia sopro sistólico. O exame ecocardiográfico evidenciou falta de coaptaçäo do folheto anterior da válvula. O exame macroscópico do coraçäo revelou ruptura da corda tendínea entre os folhetos anterior e posterior e a microscopia mostrou, nesta área, necrose e depósito de cálcio. A anóxia no período perinatal, na maioria dos casos, leva a alteraçöes cardíacas transitórias, mas em alguns, pode ser fatal e, por isso, é importante a avaliaçäo cardiológica em todos os recém-nascidos com sofrimento prolongado

A fatal case of a stressed newborn baby who developed tricuspid insufficiency due to an anterior papillary muscle infarction of the right-ventricle, related to perinatal anoxia is reported. The baby needed resuscitation management and had a systolic murmur soon after birth. The echocardiographic examination showed aflail anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve due to an avulsed anterior papillary muscle. There was rupture of chordae tendineae between anterior and posterior leaflet. Necrosis and calcinum deposit were found in the area. The conclusion was that the anoxia in perinatal period, in most cases, causes transient lesions, but infew cases might be severe and fatal. It is important a complete cardiac evaluation in every case of prolonged perinatal stress