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View article: Can natural shear wave imaging reveal cardiac dysfunction during follow-up of childhood cancer survivors?
Can natural shear wave imaging reveal cardiac dysfunction during follow-up of childhood cancer survivors? Open
Background Cardiotoxicity in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) is multifactorial and can further impair the cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) of survivors, especially during exercise. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) with exercise echo…
View article: HOPE for children: successful pediatric DCD heart transplantation using hypothermic oxygenated perfusion
HOPE for children: successful pediatric DCD heart transplantation using hypothermic oxygenated perfusion Open
There is great need to facilitate DCD heart recovery for infants and neonates. We have reported our outcomes from the world's first and smallest pediatric DCD-HOPE heart transplants and demonstrated that HOPE provides the long-awaited solu…
View article: Effects of chronic volume deprivation on the ventricle
Effects of chronic volume deprivation on the ventricle Open
OBJECTIVES Little is known of the haemodynamic changes following chronic ventricular volume deprivation, which impact understanding the disease course and treatment results. An animal model was created to study the effects of chronic ventr…
View article: Chromosomal analysis and short-term outcome of prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease
Chromosomal analysis and short-term outcome of prenatally diagnosed congenital heart disease Open
Congenital structural heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of infant death from birth defects. Postnatal survival primarily depends on the type and severity of the defect. In addition, worse cardiac prognosis is observed when extra-car…
View article: Neuromonitoring modalities predicting neurological impairment in pediatric congenital heart disease: a systematic review
Neuromonitoring modalities predicting neurological impairment in pediatric congenital heart disease: a systematic review Open
The increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) has been established, but the search for targeted neurological predictors of adverse outcome is ongoing. This systematic review reports on …
View article: Defining the causes for Fontan circulatory failure in total cavopulmonary connection patients
Defining the causes for Fontan circulatory failure in total cavopulmonary connection patients Open
OBJECTIVES This study aims to identify the causes of failure in Fontan patients with a total cavopulmonary connection. METHODS We conducted a comprehensive review of all patients who underwent a total cavopulmonary connection procedure at …
View article: Chromosomal analysis and short-term outcome of prenatally diagnosed complex congenital heart disease
Chromosomal analysis and short-term outcome of prenatally diagnosed complex congenital heart disease Open
Congenital structural heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of infant death from birth defects. Postnatal survival primarily depends on the type and severity of the defect. In addition, worse cardiac prognosis is observed when extra-car…
View article: A Belgian consensus on sotatercept for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension
A Belgian consensus on sotatercept for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension Open
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease affecting the small pulmonary vessels, ultimately leading to right ventricular failure and death. Current treatment options target three different pathways (endothelin, nitric oxide/c…
View article: Early detection of cardiac dysfunction using shear wave imaging: insights into reduced cardiorespiratory fitness in childhood cancer survivors
Early detection of cardiac dysfunction using shear wave imaging: insights into reduced cardiorespiratory fitness in childhood cancer survivors Open
Background Diastolic dysfunction is thought to be the earliest cardiotoxic sequel after cancer therapy among childhood cancer survivors. Despite many survivors do exhibit reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) potentially due to cardiotox…
View article: Pulmonary artery banding to treat end-stage heart failure in infants and young children: A multicenter study
Pulmonary artery banding to treat end-stage heart failure in infants and young children: A multicenter study Open
PAB can be an effective procedure to treat ESHF in selected infants, as alternative strategy for bridging to transplant or recovery.
View article: Mitral valve replacement in children: balancing durability and risk with mechanical and bioprosthetic valves
Mitral valve replacement in children: balancing durability and risk with mechanical and bioprosthetic valves Open
OBJECTIVES To investigate if there is still a place for bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement in children by comparing the prosthetic durability and transplant-free survival after bioprosthetic and mechanical mitral valve replacement. MET…
View article: Case report: Cardiac intimal sarcoma in a young child
Case report: Cardiac intimal sarcoma in a young child Open
Undifferentiated mesenchymal tumors from the intimal layer (intimal sarcomas) are rare within the ventricles and exceptional in children. A rare case of an intimal sarcoma located in the right ventricle in a young child is presented with n…
View article: Natural shear wave elastography to assess diastolic function in univentricular hearts: a prospective cohort study
Natural shear wave elastography to assess diastolic function in univentricular hearts: a prospective cohort study Open
Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Ventricular compliance is known to have a direct impact on ventricular filling and therefore on diastolic function. Chamber compliance, in turn, is directly related to myoc…
View article: Natural shear waves show sequential changes in myocardial stiffness In paediatric multi-inflammatory systemic syndrome post COVID
Natural shear waves show sequential changes in myocardial stiffness In paediatric multi-inflammatory systemic syndrome post COVID Open
Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Egyptian ministry of research and higher education Background Multi-inflammatory systemic syndrome post COVID infection (MIS-C) …
View article: Behaviour of natural myocardial shear waves in children and adolescents: determinants and reproducibility
Behaviour of natural myocardial shear waves in children and adolescents: determinants and reproducibility Open
Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Egyptian ministry of higher education and research Background Ultrafast echocardiography allows the direct non-invasive assessme…
View article: Long-term outcome of children with newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension: results from the global TOPP registry
Long-term outcome of children with newly diagnosed pulmonary arterial hypertension: results from the global TOPP registry Open
Background and aims The Tracking Outcomes and Practice in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension (TOPP) registry is a global network established to gain insights into the disease course and long-term outcomes of paediatric pulmonary arterial hyp…
View article: Heart failure related to adult congenital heart disease: prevalence, outcome and risk factors
Heart failure related to adult congenital heart disease: prevalence, outcome and risk factors Open
Aims Information on the prevalence, outcome and factors associated with heart failure in patients with adult congenital heart disease (CHD) (ACHD‐HF) is lacking. We aimed at assessing the prevalence and outcome of ACHD‐HF, the variables as…
View article: Pulmonary Hemodynamics and Outcome in a Large Cohort of Patients with Sinus Venosus Septal Defect
Pulmonary Hemodynamics and Outcome in a Large Cohort of Patients with Sinus Venosus Septal Defect Open
Background: Left-to-right shunt in sinus venosus septal defect (SVSD) may affect resistive (pulmonary vascular resistance–PVR) and elastic (pulmonary artery compliance-PAC) pulmonary artery properties. This study aimed at evaluating (1) im…
View article: Pulmonary endarterectomy in a 12‐year‐old boy with multiple comorbidities
Pulmonary endarterectomy in a 12‐year‐old boy with multiple comorbidities Open
A 10‐year‐old boy, with multiple comorbidities presented with fever, exertional dyspnea, fatigue and an obliterated brachiocephalic and inferior caval vein. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) was diagnosed. Nadroparine, …
View article: Vasoreactive Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Manifesting With Misleading Epileptic Seizure: Diagnostic and Treatment Pitfalls
Vasoreactive Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Manifesting With Misleading Epileptic Seizure: Diagnostic and Treatment Pitfalls Open
A 5-year-old girl presented with acute nocturnal episodes of loss of consciousness following abdominal pain and crying. Epilepsy was primarily diagnosed but the course of the disease was suggestive of pulmonary hypertension. An adapted inv…
View article: Clinical Characteristics of Infective Endocarditis in Children
Clinical Characteristics of Infective Endocarditis in Children Open
Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge associated with high morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the microbial profile and clinical manifestation of IE in children. Methods: A retrospective …
View article: Up to 11 years of experience with the Melody valved stent in the right ventricular outflow tract
Up to 11 years of experience with the Melody valved stent in the right ventricular outflow tract Open
The Melody valve shows a good preserved leaflet function up to 11 years after implantation. The main reason for graft failure was endocarditis, although in half of those patients no reintervention was needed. After pre-stenting, stent frac…
View article: Prenatal use of salbutamol in congenital total atrioventricular block
Prenatal use of salbutamol in congenital total atrioventricular block Open
This article describes a fetal presentation at 24 weeks and 5 days postmenstrual age of a congenital complete AV block in the context of maternal lupus (anti-SSA antibodies). Because of fetal hydrops in decreasing heart rate (56 beats/min)…