Long-term effects of physical training on cardiopulmonary exercise parameters in young patients with congenital heart diseases.

Introduction: Physical activity is recognised as an important intervention in patients with CHD. However, more data on the actual magnitude of physical training impact on functional capacity in this group of patients are still warranted. We aim to assess effort tolerance in a contemporary cohort of patients with congenital heart disease, regularly following a training programme, in comparison with a matched control group.

Oncogenesis in patients with congenital heart disease: A possible role of the neural crest.

Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) seem to have a higher risk for specific malignancies. We hypothesize a pathogenetic link between particular congenital heart defects and cancer originating from specific cellular lineages. We report a series of patients, followed in two high-volume referral centers, with CHD involving neural crest-derived structures who developed cancer later in life.

Acute myocarditis as first presentation of severe ulcerative colitis in a young man. Multidisciplinary management and long-term follow-up.

Unlabelled: Myocarditis is a rare extra-intestinal complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in particular, ulcerative colitis.We report a case of acute myocarditis as first manifestation of severe ulcerative colitis. A 22-year-old man was admitted with fever, bloody diarrhea, and fatigue.

Adherence of ticagrelOr in real world patients with aCute coronary syndrome: The AD-HOC study.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor antagonist is the cornerstone of therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Adherence to medical therapy is an important issue, as premature DAPT discontinuation increases the risk of new ischemic events. The aim of the present observational prospective multicenter study was to evaluate in the real-world incidence and discontinuation patterns of ticagrelor during the first 12 months after ACS.

First case reported of COVID-19 infection in an adult patient with Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome.

Ellis-van Creveld syndrome (EVC) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, the features of the syndrome are: chondral and ectodermal dysplasia characterized by short ribs, polydactyly, growth retardation resulting in dwarfism, teeth and craniofacial abnormalities and heart defects (mostly endocardial cushions and atrial septal defects). We describe the first case reported of COVID-19 infection in a 24-years-old girl, diagnosed with EVC syndrome. The patient suffered only from a mild illness, she remained stable with normal saturation without need of neither respiratory support nor specific therapy and she was rapidly discharged.

Early Diagnosis of Acute Myocarditis in the ED: Proposal of a New ECG-Based Protocol.

The diagnosis of acute myocarditis (AM) is based on a multi-parametric assessment including clinical presentation, ECG, imaging and biomarkers. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) might be an additional diagnostic sign in patients with proven AM. The main objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic yield of fQRS in patients with suspected AM presenting to the emergency department (ED).

Catheter closure of a patent vertical vein after repair of an unusual total anomalous variant of pulmonary venous drainage.

Total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage (TAPVD) encompasses a wide spectrum of anatomical variants. The infradiaphragmatic type is almost always obstructive owing to the interposition of intrahepatic resistances; since almost invariable, the vertical vein inserts on the portal venous system. On correction of this variant, the vertical vein might not be ligated to avoid postoperative pulmonary hypertension.

Patterns of myocardial involvement in children during COVID-19 pandemic: Early experience from northern Italy.

There is limited information about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the pediatric population. Preliminary data suggest a not insignificant prevalence of cardiac involvement. Here, we report our early experience with COVID-19 in the pediatric population.

Myocardial infarction in a child with multiple coronary aneurysms and neurofibromatosis type 1.

Vascular involvement in neurofibromatosis type 1 has been described, although coronary artery disease is rare. Data about clinical presentation and natural history are anecdotal. This is the first case of myocardial infarction due to coronary aneurysms in a 13-year-old boy with neurofibromatosis type 1.

QRS fragmentation as a possible electrocardiographic diagnostic marker in patients with acute myocarditis: preliminary histopathological validation.

Aims: We aim to assess the reproducibility of QRS fragmentation (fQRS) on a multi-centre dataset of patients with acute myocarditis (AM), including a histopathological validation in a subgroup with biopsy-proven disease. Electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with myocarditis is usually considered aspecific. ST changes and conduction anomalies have been commonly reported so far.

COVID-19 in adult patients with CHD: a matter of anatomy or comorbidities?

Little is know about COVID-19 outcome in specific populations such as Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients. We report three cases of adult patients with similar underlying disease with completely different clinical severity at the time of COVID-19 infection. The patient with the most severe clinical course was obese and diabetic, suggesting that COVID-19 mortality and morbidity in Adult congenital heart disease patients might be independent of anatomic complexity.

QRS fragmentation in children with suspected myocarditis: a possible additional diagnostic sign.

Aims: We aim to assess the diagnostic role of QRS fragmentation in children with suspected acute myocarditis.

Background: Diagnosis of myocarditis in the paediatric population is challenging. Clinical suspicion, electrocardiogram, and laboratory tests are the main diagnostic features at presentation.