Childhood Acquired Heart Diseases in Jos, North Central Nigeria
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE Childhood acquired heart diseases in Jos, north central Nigeria Fidelia Bode-Thomas, Olukemi O. Ige, Christopher Yilgwan Department of Paediatrics, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria ABSTRACT Background: The patterns of childhood acquired heart diseases (AHD) vary in different parts of the world and may evolve over time. We aimed to compare the pattern of childhood AHD in our institution to the historical and contemporary patterns in other parts of the country, and to highlight possible regional differences and changes in trend. Materials and Methods: Pediatric echocardiography records spanning a period of 10 years were reviewed. Echocardiography records of children with echocardiographic or irrefutable clinical diagnoses of AHD were identified and relevant data extracted from their records. Results: One hundred and seventy five children were diagnosed with AHD during the period, including seven that had coexisting congenital heart disease (CHD). They were aged 4 weeks to 18 years (mean 9.84±4.5 years) and comprised 80 (45.7%) males and 95 (54.3%) females. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was the cause of the AHD in 101 (58.0%) children, followed by dilated cardiomyopathy (33 cases, 18.9%) which was the most frequent AHD in younger (under 5 years) children. Other AHD encountered were cor pulmonale in 16 (9.1%), pericardial disease in 15 (8.6%), infective endocarditis in 8 (4.6%) and aortic aneurysms in 2 (1.1%) children. Only one case each of endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) and Kawasaki Disease were seen during the period. Conclusions: The majority of childhood acquired heart diseases in our environment are still of infectious aeitology, with RHD remaining the most frequent, particularly in older children. Address for correspondence: Community-based screening and multicenter collaborative studies will help to better describe Dr. Fidelia Bode-Thomas, the pattern of AHD in our country. More vigorous pursuit of the Millennium development goals Department of Paediatrics, Jos will contribute to reducing the burden of childhood acquired heart diseases in the country. University Teaching Hospital, PMB 2076, Jos, Nigeria Key words: Acquired heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, Nigerian children, rheumatic E-mail: [email protected] heart disease INTRODUCTION patterns of disease within the country, but that some diseases, notably EMF, may be disappearing.9-11 The reports Acquired heart diseases (AHD) known to have their on childhood AHD from North-Central Nigeria have been origins predominantly in childhood are still major public preliminary.9,12 In this 10-year retrospective review of our health problems in the developing world.1,2 The patterns echocardiography records, we compare the pattern of of childhood AHD also vary in different parts of the childhood AHD in our center in North-Central Nigeria to world.3,4 Reports dating back three or four decades show the historical and contemporary patterns reported from that “idiopathic cardiomegaly,” endomyocardial fibrosis other parts of the country, and aim to highlight possible (EMF), rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and infective regional differences and changes in trend. pericarditis were the most commonly encountered AHD among Nigerian children.5-8 More recent reports indicate MATERIALS AND METHODS that there may not only be geographical differences in We reviewed our pediatric echocardiography records over Access this article online a 10-year period from December 1999, when the service Quick Response Code: became available at our center, the Jos University Teaching Website: Hospital (JUTH), Jos, Plateau State, until November 2009. www.nigeriamedj.com The pediatric cardiology unit of JUTH receives referrals from several states in North-Central Nigeria, parts of DOI: North-Western and North-Eastern Nigeria, and also from 10.4103/0300-1652.108897 the Federal Capital Territory. All children referred to the unit for management or for echocardiography (ECHO) Nigerian Medical Journal | Vol. 54 | Issue 1 | January-February | 2013 Page | 51 Bode-Thomas, et al.: Acquired heart diseases in children undergo clinical, radiologic (chest radiograph), and The data were analyzed using the statistical software electocardiographic (ECG) evaluation before an ECHO is Epi Info® version 3.5.1 of the Centres for Disease Control performed. (CDC) Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and frequencies During the period under review, three different ECHO were generated and stratified by age, gender, and heart machines were in use in the hospital. From December 1999 lesions as appropriate. Means of continuous variables to July 2000, a Hewlett-Packard (HP) Sonos 1250 was used. were compared using Student's t-test while proportions The second and third machines, a HP Sonos 1500 and a were compared using the chi-square test. The level of Logic Expert GE (General Electrics) ultrasound system, statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Permission to were in use from July 2000 to February 2006 and from publish the data was obtained from the hospital ethical July 2007 to November 2009 respectively (no machine committee. was available for a 16-month period). All three machines had facilities for two-dimensional (2D), M-mode and color flow Doppler imaging. The latter two also had facilities for RESULTS pulsed and continuous wave Doppler. A total of 580 children aged 2 weeks to 18 years had echocardiographic examinations performed during the Depending on the age and size of the child and the quality of period covered by this report, of which 167 (28.8%) had image produced, 3.5 or 5 MHz frequency transducers were various forms of acquired heart disease (AHD) as their used for the majority of children examined. Occasionally primary diagnoses, 390 (67.2%) had congenital heart a 2.5 MHz frequency transducer had to be used for an disease (CHD) only, 7 (1.2%) children had both AHD and older child. The number of pediatric ECHO procedures CHD, while 16 (2.8%) had normal ECHO findings. One of performed was limited by factors such as the availability the latter, a female infant, had irrefutable clinical features of of skilled personnel, cost of the procedure, and periods of Kawasaki disease. The seven children with coexisting CHD equipment breakdown.9 Multiple users (the same machines and AHD were RHD with atrial septal defect (ASD) – two were used by various other services and departments in cases; dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with ASD – two cases; the hospital) and unstable power supplies were other and three cases of infective endocarditis associated with factors that not only limited the access of pediatric patients patent ductus arteriosus, congenital mitral incompetence to echocardiography but also contributed to recurrent and Fallot tetralogy respectively. breakdown of equipment.9 Thus a total of 175 children were diagnosed with AHD Over the 10-year period, up to four different pediatricians during this period. The commonest indications for ECHO performed ECHO examinations at different times (each in these children are displayed in Table 1. They comprised after a period of training and supervision) and after the 80 (45.7%) males and 95 (54.3%) females and were aged first few years, at least two of them were usually present between 4 weeks and 18 years (mean 9.84±4.5 years). at each ECHO session. Echocardiographic diagnoses were There was no significant age difference between males based on standard guidelines and on the diagnostic criteria (9.6 ± 4.5 years) and females (9.9±4.5 years) – P=0.31. The for each acquired heart disease (AHD).13-17 Rheumatic relative frequencies, sex distributions, and mean ages of heart disease (RHD) was defined by the presence of any definite evidence of valve regurgitation or stenosis seen in two planes on Doppler examination, and at least two Table 1: Indications for echocardiography in 175 morphologic abnormalities, such as restricted leaflet children with acquired heart disease mobility, focal or generalized valvular thickening, and Indication Heart lesion Percentage abnormal subvalvular thickening of the affected valve.14 In Suspected RHD 41 23.4 the presence of poor LV contractility (fractional shortening CCF 40 22.9 less than 28%), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), another Heart murmur 31 17.7 Cardiomegaly 13 7.4 frequently encountered lesion, was diagnosed if the left Recurrent chest pain 8 4.6 ventricular (LV) dimensions were above the upper limit Suspected Cor pulmonale 8 4.6 [14] of normal for age, while nondilated cardiomyopathy Pericardial effusion 7 4.0 (NDCM) was diagnosed if the LV dimensions were within Suspected EMF 3 1.7 normal limits for age.17 Information obtained from our Palpitations 2 1.1 records included age at the time of ECHO, gender, clinical Arrhythmia 2 1.1 indication for the ECHO, and the echocardiography findings DCM 2 1.1 and diagnosis. This paper is a retrospective review based Myocarditis 2 1.1 primarily on ECHO diagnosis. Thus children with normal Kawasaki Disease 1 1.1 ECHO were excluded, except there was irrefutable clinical Missing data 15 8.0 175 100 evidence of an acquired heart disease such as infective RHD - Rheumatic heart disease, CCF - Congestive heart failure, 18,19 endocarditis or Kawasaki disease. EMF - Endomyocardial fibrosis Page | 52 Nigerian Medical Journal | Vol. 54 | Issue 1 | January-February | 2013 Bode-Thomas, et al.: Acquired heart diseases in children children with different acquired heart lesions are displayed immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Earlier on, a familial in Tables 2-4. form of DCM had been under consideration due to history of similar illness that led to the death (in infancy) of a Rheumatic heart disease younger sibling. Two (5.4%) subjects (aged 9 and 16 years Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was the most common AHD respectively) had nondilated but poorly contractile left encountered. It was diagnosed in 101 (57.7%) children, ventricles, consistent with nondilated cardiomyopathy including the two with coexistent atrial septal defect (NDCM).17 There was one case each of EMF in a 5-year- (ASD).