Cardiac dysrhythmias in children with idiopathic dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

• Published in: Pediatric cardiology 1995-03, Vol.16 (2), p.56-60
• Main Authors: Müller, G, Ulmer, H E, Hagel, K J, Wolf, D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - congenital; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - mortality; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - physiopathology; Cardiac Complexes, Premature - congenital; Cardiac Complexes, Premature - mortality; Cardiac Complexes, Premature - physiopathology; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - congenital; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - mortality; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated - physiopathology; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - congenital; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - mortality; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - physiopathology; Cause of Death; Child; Child, Preschool; Death, Sudden, Cardiac - etiology; Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Conduction System - physiopathology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sudden Infant Death - etiology; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0172-0643; 1432-1971
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00796818

To assess the incidence and prognostic significance of cardiac dysrhythmias in children with idiopathic dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the clinical course of 59 patients was retrospectively reviewed over a period of 27 years. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was diagnosed in 28 patients and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in 31 patients. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 2.8 +/- 0.7 years in DCM patients and 6.7 +/- 0.8 years in HCM patients. Mean follow-up time after diagnosis of cardiomyopathy was 4.1 +/- 1.0 years in DCM patients and 6.6 +/- 0.8 years in HCM patients. Clinically significant cardiac dysrhythmias were found in 17 of 59 patients (29%): 7 of 28 patients (25%) with DCM and 10 of 31 patients (32%) with HCM. The initial diagnosis of a cardiac dysrhythmia was made by standard electrocardiography in 12 of 17 patients (71%) and by 24-hour Holter monitoring in 5 of 17 patients (29%). Ventricular dysrhythmias were present in 5 of 7 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and in 5 of 10 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. During the followup time, death occurred in 18 of 59 patients (31%): 8 of 59 patients (14%) died from congestive heart failure and 10 of 59 patients (17%) died suddenly. Among the sudden deaths were 4 of 28 patients (14%) with dilated cardiomyopathy and 6 of 31 patients (19%) with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac dysrhythmias had been documented in 6 of the 10 patients dying suddenly (3 of 4 patients with DCM and 3 of 6 patients with HCM).