Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the persisting Covid-19-related symptoms of the cases included in our study and to assess their cardiac findings to determine the impact of Covid-19 on children’s cardiovascular health.Methods: In this study, 121 children between the ages of 0– and 18 with Covid-19 were evaluated based on their history, blood pressure values, and electrocardiography and echocardiography results. These findings were compared with the findings of the control group which consisted of 95 healthy cases who were in the same age range as the study group and did not have Covid-19. The results were evaluated using the statistics program, SPSS 21.Results: There was no significant difference between the study group and the control group in terms of age, weight, and body mass index. The clinical symptoms (chest and back pain, dizziness, headache, palpitation, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of balance, coughing) of 37.2% of the cases persisted for at least 1 month after Covid-19 recovery. Statistically significant differences were found in systolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, relative wall thickness, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion.Conclusion: The continuation of some cases’ clinical symptoms post-recovery indicates that long Covid infection can be observed in children. The fact that statistically significant differences were observed between the echocardiographic parameters of the study and control groups suggests that Covid-19 may have effects on the cardiovascular system. To shed light on the long Covid cases among children and the infection’s cardiac impacts, it would be beneficial to conduct more comprehensive studies on this matter.
11 August 2011 in The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a communication between the ascending aorta and the pulmonary artery in the presence of two separate semilunar valves and is the rarest of septal defects. To present our experience with the diagnosis and outcome of APW cases. Retrospective cohort study. Between June 2003 and October 2011, thirteen patients were diagnosed with APW. Clinical features of patients, findings of echocardiographic and angiographic examination, results of surgical intervention and follow-up were reviewed retrospectively. Eleven children (10 days to 16 years), underwent surgical correction of APW. In a 12-month-old boy, the defect was repaired by the transcatheter approach. In addition to APW repair, closure of VSD was performed in 2 patients. APW were associated with interruption in two patients; one also had a complex pathology. None of the patients died due to complications of surgical or transcatheter procedures. After a median follow-up period of 40 months, the patients were asymptomatic and none of them required additional medication, except for the patient with complex pathology including an interrupted aortic arch, who underwent balloon angioplasty for recoarctation. In any infant with the findings of congestive heart failure and failure to thrive, APW must be kept in mind as a differential diagnosis. In isolated APW cases before 6 months of age, echocardiography is often sufficient for diagnosis. In complex cases, cardiac catheterisation is performed for the comprehensive evaluation of associated defects. After 6 months, cardiac catheterisation could be utilised to perform vasoreactivity testing and, if possible, to close the defect.
To present a rare case of actinomycotic suppurative thyroiditis in an infant with provision of the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical findings and treatment of this rare disease. A report of an 18-month-old female infant who presented with fever, erythema, induration and tenderness of the neck. The patient had the diagnosis of acute suppurative thyroiditis after a series of laboratory evaluation. She was treated successfully with surgical debridement and intravenous penicillin G. Although rare, Actinomyces spp. should be considered in the etiology of acute suppurative thyroiditis. Because of its fastidious nature the probability of positive culture is low, thus, the microbiology laboratory should be called in advance to make preparations before culture and transport.