Aortic stenosis in children: 19-year experience.

C. W. Liu*, B. Hwang, B. C. Lee, J. H. Lu, L. C. Meng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the Taiwanese literature, few articles describe the pertinent features of aortic stenosis (AS). This study explores the features of AS in Chinese children. METHODS: 3808 children with congenital heart diseases have undergone cardiac catheterization at our institution over the past 19 years. Among them, 51 (1.3%) cases were AS. The clinical, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic and catheterization findings, the methods of treatment and outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: Valvular AS occurred in 39 children (76.5%), subvalvular AS in 5 (9.8%), and supravalvular AS in 7(13.7%). Male was predominant (M/F ratio, 2.6) except in supravalvular type. Forty-three patients had associated cardiovascular defects. Aortic regurgitation (AR) was the most common one. Most patients (56.9%) were asymptomatic. Classic symptoms included exertional dyspnea (17.6%), syncope (9.8%), and chest pain (7.8%), etc. Left ventricular hypertrophy was noted in 31.2% of cases. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.9 +/- 3.4 years. Ten patients received open-heart surgery and 2 received balloon dilation. The pressure gradients across the stenotic area dropped from 95.3 +/- 29.3 to 51.4 +/- 35.8 and 53.1 +/- 12.3 mm Hg in early and late Doppler follow-up studies, respectively (p < 0.05). The average gradient increased from 36.9 +/- 25.3 to 40.8 +/- 32.6 mm Hg in nonsurgical patients. The result was insignificant. No mortality occurred following open-heart surgery. One child expired due to heart failure after the ligation of the patent ductus arteriosus and dilation of the stenotic aortic valve on the surgical table under general anesthesia. Autopsy revealed valvular rupture. In the nonsurgical group, no mortality occurred, but one patient was brought home by parents in critical condition and later died. CONCLUSIONS: We found that some clinical features of AS in Chinese children were different from those in occidental populations. (1) The incidence of AS was relatively low. (2) Subvalvular AS was the least common type in contrast to supravalvular AS in western studies. (3) Male predominance was not present in the supravalvular type, which lacked sexual proclivity. (4) Williams syndrome was a more frequently associated anomaly. Turner syndrome was not present in our study. (5) Isolated AS was less frequent. (6) The unusual finding such as right ventricular hypertrophy on EKG was present due to associated cardiac anomalies. Open-heart surgery is effective and safe, but the efficacy of balloon dilation requires further investigation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)107-113
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume59
Issue number2
StatePublished - Feb 1997

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Aortic stenosis in children: 19-year experience.'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this