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PloS One 2024Echogenic Intracardiac Foci (EIF) are non-structural markers identified during the routine 18-20-week foetal anomaly ultrasound scan yet their clinical significance on...
BACKGROUND
Echogenic Intracardiac Foci (EIF) are non-structural markers identified during the routine 18-20-week foetal anomaly ultrasound scan yet their clinical significance on future outcomes for the infant is unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between EIF and risk of preterm birth, chromosomal abnormalities, and cardiac abnormalities.
DESIGN
A review across four databases to identify English language journal articles of EIF using a cohort study design. All studies were reviewed for quality using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist and data extracted for comparison and analysis.
RESULTS
19 papers from 9 different countries were included. Combining these studies showed 4.6% (95% CI = 4.55-4.65%) of all pregnancies had EIF which was on the left in 86% of cases, on the right in 3% of cases and bilaterally in 10%. There was no evidence that EIF was associated with higher rates of preterm birth. However, it is possible that infants with EIF were more likely to be terminated rather than be born preterm as there was a 2.1% (range 0.3-4.2%) rate of termination or death of the foetus after week 20 among those with EIF. There was no evidence that EIF alone is highly predictive of chromosomal abnormalities. There was evidence that EIF is associated with higher rates of minor cardiac abnormalities (e.g. ventricular septal defect, tricuspid regurgitation or mitral regurgitation)) with 5.1% (224 of 4385) of those with EIF showing cardiac abnormalities (3.08% in retrospective studies and 17.85% in prospective studies). However, the risk of cardiac defects was only higher with right-sided EIF and where the EIF persisted into the third trimester. However, this is a rare event and would be seen in an estimated 4 per 10,000 pregnancies.
CONCLUSION
EIF alone was not associated with adverse outcomes for the infant. Only persistent EIF on the right side showed evidence of carrying a higher risk of cardiac abnormality and would warrant further follow-up.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Chromosome Aberrations; Heart Defects, Congenital; Pregnancy Outcome; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Premature Birth; Ultrasonography, Prenatal
PubMed: 38648215
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298365 -
Cureus Feb 2024Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a progressive connective tissue disease with a broad range of clinical manifestations. We sought to establish the spectrum of structural... (Review)
Review
Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a progressive connective tissue disease with a broad range of clinical manifestations. We sought to establish the spectrum of structural valvular abnormalities as cardiovascular involvement has been identified as the most life-threatening aspect of the syndrome. This was a systematic review with a meta-analysis of studies indexed in Medline from the inception of the database to November 7, 2022. Using the random-effects model, separate Forest and Galbraith plots were generated for each valvular abnormality assessed. Heterogeneity was assessed using the statistics whilst funnel plots and Egger's test were used to assess for publication bias. From a total of 35 studies, a random-effects meta-analysis approximated the pooled summary estimates for the prevalence of cardiac valve abnormalities as mitral valve prolapse 65% (95% CI: 57%-73%); mitral valve regurgitation 40% (95% CI: 29%-51%); aortic valve regurgitation 40% (95% CI: 28%-53%); tricuspid valve prolapse 35% (95% CI: 15%-55%); and tricuspid valve regurgitation 43% (95% CI: 8%-78%). Only one study reported on the involvement of the pulmonary valve (pulmonary valve prolapse was estimated at 5.3% (95% CI: 1.9%-11.1%) in a cohort of 114 patients with MFS). We believe this study provides a description of the structural valvular disease spectrum and may help inform providers and patients in understanding the clinical history of MFS in the current treatment era with its increased life expectancy.
PubMed: 38487153
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.54141 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Although subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function, the use of levothyroxine as a regular treatment remains... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Although subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function, the use of levothyroxine as a regular treatment remains debatable. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether thyroid hormone replacement therapy affects cardiac diastolic function in patients with SCH as measured by echocardiography.
METHODS
This meta-analysis included a search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to May 18, 2023, for studies analyzing cardiac morphology and functional changes in patients with SCH before and after thyroid hormone replacement. The outcome measures were cardiac morphology and diastolic and overall cardiac function, as assessed using ultrasound parameters (including ventricular wall thickness, chamber size, mitral wave flow, tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking). The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The standard mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models.
RESULTS
Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 568 patients participated and completed the follow-up. All studies specifically stated that serum thyrotropin levels returned to normal by the end of the study period. Compared with baseline levels, no significant morphological changes were observed in the heart. In terms of diastolic function, we discovered that the ratios of E-velocity to A-velocity (E/A) had greatly improved after thyroid hormone replacement therapy, whereas the ratios of the mitral inflow E wave to the tissue Doppler e' wave (E/e') had not. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) increased significantly after treatment with levothyroxine.
CONCLUSION
In adult patients with SCH, thyroid hormone supplementation can partially but not completely improve parameters of diastolic function during the observation period. This meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement, an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews (11) and was registered with INPLASY (INPLASY202320083).
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-2-0083.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Echocardiography; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Hypothyroidism; Thyroxine; Ventricular Function, Left; Diastole
PubMed: 37818087
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1263861 -
Cancer Cell International May 2023Although doxorubicin chemotherapy is commonly applied for treating different malignant tumors, cardiotoxicity induced by this chemotherapeutic agent restricts its... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Although doxorubicin chemotherapy is commonly applied for treating different malignant tumors, cardiotoxicity induced by this chemotherapeutic agent restricts its clinical use. The use of silymarin/silibinin may mitigate the doxorubicin-induced cardiac adverse effects. For this aim, the potential cardioprotective effects of silymarin/silibinin against the doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity were systematically reviewed.
METHODS
In this study, we performed a systematic search in accordance with PRISMA guideline for identifying all relevant studies on "the role of silymarin/silibinin against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity" in different electronic databases up to June 2022. Sixty-one articles were obtained and screened based on the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirteen eligible papers were finally included in this review.
RESULTS
According to the echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings, the doxorubicin-treated groups presented a significant reduction in ejection fraction, tissue Doppler peak mitral annulus systolic velocity, and fractional shortening as well as bradycardia, prolongation of QT and QRS interval. However, these echocardiographic abnormalities were obviously improved in the silymarin plus doxorubicin groups. As well, the doxorubicin administration led to induce histopathological and biochemical changes in the cardiac cells/tissue; in contrast, the silymarin/silibinin co-administration could mitigate these induced alterations (for most of the cases).
CONCLUSION
According to the findings, it was found that the co-administration of silymarin/silibinin alleviates the doxorubicin-induced cardiac adverse effects. Silymarin/silibinin exerts its cardioprotective effects via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic activities, and other mechanisms.
PubMed: 37165384
DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02936-4 -
Pediatric Cardiology Apr 2023There is a paucity of longitudinal data on cardiac outcomes in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. We aimed to investigate... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
There is a paucity of longitudinal data on cardiac outcomes in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the longitudinal cardiovascular outcomes in MIS-C. PubMed and EMBASE were searched through May 2022. Observational studies were included, reporting mid-term (≥ 3 months) outcomes in children (aged < 21) with MIS-C. Data were extracted by two researchers. Longitudinal outcomes were synthesized by a one-group meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Eleven studies with a follow-up period (3 months to 1 year) were identified, including 547 MIS-C patients. The mortality was 2.5% (95% CI 1.3-4.9). The majority of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction present in 46.8% (95% CI 32.7-61.3) in the acute phase resolved by 3 months, and the prevalence of LV systolic dysfunction was 1.7% (95% CI 0.5-5.7) and 2.1% (95% CI 0.8-5.4) at 3 month and 6 month follow-up, respectively. Additionally, the persistent LV systolic dysfunction in the small population was mild. However, coronary abnormalities such as coronary artery dilatation or aneurysms, seen in 23.7% (95% CI 17.7-31.1) at baseline, persisted in 4.7% (95% CI 1.5-14.3) at 3 months and 5.2% (95% CI 3.0-8.9) at 6 months. Mitral regurgitation (MR), which was observed in 56.6% (95% CI 27.7-81.6) at baseline, also persisted in 7.5% at 6 months. In conclusion, our study demonstrated largely favorable cardiac outcomes, suggesting resolution of LV systolic dysfunction in the majority of cases. However, coronary abnormalities and MR persisted in a subset of patients at mid-term follow-up.
Topics: Child; Humans; COVID-19; Heart; Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome; Mitral Valve Insufficiency; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
PubMed: 36416893
DOI: 10.1007/s00246-022-03052-2 -
World Journal of Cardiology Oct 2022(HPI) belongs to the HACEK ( spp., spp., spp., spp., and spp.) group of organisms. The HACEK group of organisms are a part of the oropharyngeal flora and can cause...
BACKGROUND
(HPI) belongs to the HACEK ( spp., spp., spp., spp., and spp.) group of organisms. The HACEK group of organisms are a part of the oropharyngeal flora and can cause invasive opportunistic infection such infective endocarditis (IE) in hosts with compromised immunological barriers.
AIM
To perform a 20-year systematic review of the literature characterizing the clinical presentation, epidemiology and prognosis of HPI IE.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review of Medline, Pubmed, Scopus and Embase from 2000 to 2022 to identify all cases of HPI IE.
RESULTS
Thirty-nine adult cases were identified. HPI IE was found to affect males slightly more than females and is common in patients with predisposing risk factors such as underlying valvular abnormalities. It mostly affected the mitral valve and had an indolent course; significantly sized vegetations (> 1 cm) developed in most cases. Central nervous system septic embolization was common. It had a favorable prognosis compared to staphylococcal and streptococcal IE.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians should be attentive to the indolent course of HPI IE and the presence of predisposing risk factors in order to allow for timely management.
PubMed: 36339888
DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v14.i10.546 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2021Evaluate the evidence on the abnormalities of the aortic root and heart valves, risk and prognostic factors for heart valve disease and valve replacement surgery in...
Evaluate the evidence on the abnormalities of the aortic root and heart valves, risk and prognostic factors for heart valve disease and valve replacement surgery in spondyloarthritis. A systematic literature review was performed using Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases until July 2021. Prevalence, incidence, risk and prognostic factors for heart valve disease; dimension, morphology, and pathological abnormalities of the valves were analyzed. Patient characteristics (younger age, history of cardiac disease or longer disease duration) and period of realization were considered for the analysis. The SIGN Approach was used for rating the quality of the evidence of the studies. In total, 37 out of 555 studies were included. Overall, the level of evidence was low. The incidence of aortic insufficiency was 2.5-3.9‰. Hazard Ratio for aortic insufficiency was 1.8-2.0. Relative risk for aortic valve replacement surgery in ankylosing spondylitis patients was 1.22-1.46. Odds ratio for aortic insufficiency was 1.07 for age and 1.05 for disease duration. Mitral valve abnormalities described were mitral valve prolapse, calcification, and thickening. Aortic valve abnormalities described were calcification, thickening and an echocardiographic "subaortic bump." Abnormalities of the aorta described were thickening of the wall and aortic root dilatation. The most common microscopic findings were scarring of the adventitia, lymphocytic infiltration, and intimal proliferation. A higher prevalence and risk of aortic valve disease is observed in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Studies were heterogeneous and analysis was not adjusted by potential confounders. Most studies did not define accurate outcomes and may have detected small effects as being statistically significant.
PubMed: 34631824
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.719523 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2021This study aimed to identify the clinical features of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) in children. The case-control studies of KDSS and KD children up until...
This study aimed to identify the clinical features of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS) in children. The case-control studies of KDSS and KD children up until April 30, 2021 were searched in multiple databases. The qualified research were retrieved by manually reviewing the references. Review Manager 5.3 software was used for statistical analysis. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the incidence of male and female in children with KDSS. Children with KDSS compared with non-shocked KD, there were significant difference in age, duration of fever, white blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of neutrophils (NEUT%), platelet count (PLT), c-reactive protein level (CRP), alanine transaminase concentration (ALT), aspartate transaminase concentration (AST), albumin concentration (ALB), sodium concentration (Na), ejection fraction, and length of hospitalization as well as the incidence of coronary artery dilation, coronary artery aneurysm, left ventricular dysfunction, mitral regurgitation, pericardial effusion, initial diagnosis of KD, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance and receiving second dose of IVIG, vasoactive drugs, hormones, and albumin. In contrast, there was no difference in the hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and the incidence of conjunctival injection, oropharyngeal change, polymorphous rash, extremity change, and incomplete KD. Current evidence suggested that the children with KDSS had more severe indicators of inflammation and more cardiac abnormalities. These patients were resistant to immunoglobulin treatment and required extra anti-inflammatory treatment. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021241207.
PubMed: 34621802
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.736352 -
Case Reports in Genetics 2020Shprintzen-Goldberg craniosynostosis syndrome (SGS) is a rare autosomal dominant condition that was first documented in literature in 1982. The disorder is caused by...
Shprintzen-Goldberg craniosynostosis syndrome (SGS) is a rare autosomal dominant condition that was first documented in literature in 1982. The disorder is caused by pathogenic variants in the proto-oncogene gene, a known suppressor of TGF- activity, located on chromosome 1p36. There is considerable phenotypic overlap with Marfan and Loeys-Dietz syndromes. Common clinical features of SGS include craniosynostosis, marfanoid habitus, hypotonia, dysmorphic facies, cardiovascular anomalies, and other skeletal and connective tissue abnormalities. Ocular manifestations may include hypertelorism, downslanting palpebral fissures, proptosis, myopia, and ectopia lentis. We describe a 25-year-old male with the syndrome. Genetic analysis revealed a novel c.350G>A (p.Arg117His) variant, which was predicted to be pathogenic by the CTGT laboratory. The patient presented with dysmorphic features, marfanoid habitus, severe joint contractures, mitral valve insufficiency, aortic root dilatation, and a history of seizures. His ocular manifestations included hypertelorism, downslanting palpebral fissures, bilateral ptosis, and high myopia. Ophthalmic manifestations are an integral component of the syndrome; however, they have not been well characterized in the literature. From a systematic review of previously published cases to date, we summarize the eye and ocular adnexa manifestations reported.
PubMed: 33628537
DOI: 10.1155/2020/7353452