Diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging during transition care in adolescents with Turner syndrome.

Background: Turner Syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder frequently associated with congenital cardiovascular abnormalities, particularly bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), coarctation of the aorta (CoA), and aortic dilatation. These conditions substantially increase the risk of aortic dissection. Although echocardiography (ECHO) is commonly used for cardiac monitoring, its limitations in evaluating aortic morphology require cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), as recommended by recent guidelines.

Respiratory Function of Fontan Pediatric Patients with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Other Morphologies of Functionally Single Ventricle-A Pilot Study.

: Management of complex congenital heart defects with functionally single ventricle remains one of the greatest challenges of pediatric cardiology. The multistage surgical treatment completed with Fontan procedure is related to multiple complications. Due to non-pulsatile continuous pulmonary flow and chronic hypoxia, Fontan circulation may induce pulmonary endothelial dysfunction.

Galectin-3: Heart failure biomarker in pediatric heart defects.

Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin, has emerged as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for various diseases, including certain heart and kidney diseases, as well as cancer. Its significance is particularly notable in the context of congenital heart defects (CHD), which are the most prevalent congenital malformations, occurring in 6 to 8 out of every 1000 live births. Symptoms of heart failure (HF) in patients with congenital heart defects can manifest early in life, but in some cases, the disease progresses gradually, leading to a gradual decline in quality of life and the development of various complications.

Clinical Significance of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Pediatric Patients: Insights into Their Utility in the Presence or Absence of Pre-Existing Heart Conditions.

The clinical significance of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in pediatric patients remains an area of evolving understanding, particularly regarding their utility in the presence or absence of pre-existing heart conditions. While clear cutoff values and established roles in heart failure are understood in adult patients, pediatric norms vary with age, complicating interpretation. Notably, the emergence of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has highlighted the importance of these markers not only in the detection of acute heart failure but also as a marker of disease severity and even as a differential diagnosis tool.

Infective Endocarditis in Children as an Increasing Clinical Problem-A Case Series.

In September 2023, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) published new guidelines for the management of endocarditis. Infective endocarditis (IE) remains a significant life-threatening disease, concerning an increasingly younger age group, especially children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and young adults after multiple cardiac surgeries. This study's aim was to alert the medical community to the problem of increasing IE case numbers and IE course complexity.

Current practice of care for adolescent and adult patients after Fontan surgery in Poland.

Background: The growing number of adult patients after the Fontan operation requires regular surveillance tests in specialized centers.

Aims: Our study aimed to evaluate the current practice of care for Fontan patients in Poland using a multicenter survey.

Methods: Eight centers were included in the study including 5 adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and 3 pediatric centers for adolescents.

Efficacy and safety of zero-fluoroscopy approach for ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia: experience from more than 1000 cases.

Background: Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of the slow pathway in atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) is associated with high efficacy and low risk of total perioperative or late atrioventricular block. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of slow-pathway RFCA for AVNRT using a zero-fluoroscopy approach.

Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective multicenter registry of catheter ablation from January 2012 to February 2018.

Riociguat in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension: The PATENT-CHILD study.

Riociguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator, is approved for treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of oral riociguat in a pediatric population with PAH was assessed in PATENT-CHILD (NCT02562235), a multicenter, single-arm, 24-week, open-label, Phase 3 study. Patients aged 6-17 years in World Health Organization functional class (WHO-FC) I-III treated with stable endothelin receptor antagonists and/or prostacyclin analogs received riociguat equivalent to 0.

Takotsubo syndrome as a cardiac manifestation of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

Cases of severe heart damage in patients presenting with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children are one of the most intriguing phenomena during the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic. The pathophysiology of myocardial changes in the course of this syndrome has not been fully understood yet. We present a case of a child with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and with cardiac changes corresponding to Takotsubo syndrome.

Distinct characteristics of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children in Poland.

During the winter months of 2020/2021 a wave of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) emerged in Poland. We present the results of a nationwide register aiming to capture and characterise MIS-C with a focus on severity determinants. The first MIS-C wave in Poland was notably high, hence our analysis involved 274 children.

A milestone in congenital cardiac surgery: Four decades of the Norwood procedure.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) was first described by Lev in 1952, but it was not until 1958 that it received a name from Noonan and Nadas. For the next several decades, the defect was considered untreatable. In 1979, William Norwood and his colleagues from Boston initiated a program to evaluate staged surgical management for infants with HLHS.

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Parental Anxiety and Attitudes. Follow-Up Data from the Polish Registry of Pulmonary Hypertension (BNP-PL).

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted healthcare systems worldwide. Little is known about the impact of the pandemic on medical and psycho-social aspects of children with rare diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension and their parents. The study is based on children registered in The Database of Pulmonary Hypertension in the Polish Population and a parent-reported survey deployed during the first 6 months of the pandemic.

Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect: a consensus document of the joint group of experts from the Association of Cardiovascular Interventions and the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease Section of the Polish Cardiac Society.

Atrial septal defect is the most common congenital heart lesion in adults. Although atrial septal defect closure is recommended in those with right heart enlargement or paradoxical embolism, data informing such indications in adults are quite limited. This population has many unique characteristics and needs.