Fibroelastosis . It is one of the most common causes of heart failure and death in children with heart disease between 2 months and 1 year. Its origin has not been specified, although it has been suggested by some authors that it may be an intrauterine infection by the mumps virus .
Summary
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- 1 Etiology
- 2 Clinical picture
- 3 Laboratory tests
- 4 Treatment
- 5 Sources
Etiology
Forms have been described whose appearance is secondary to congenital anomalies, such as coarctation of the aorta or valve stenosis.
Clinical picture
Clinical symptoms generally appear within 6 months (50% of patients), although these patients are born healthy. Growth and development are affected during the first year of life, and the physical examination detects: precordial deformity, dulling of the first pointy heart sound and absence of significant murmurs.
Laboratory exams
- Radiology. The telecardiogram shows global cardiomegaly with a predominance of left cavities.
- Electrocardiogram. The most important electrocardiographic findings are the signs of left ventricular hypertrophy with disorders of ventricular repolarization (negative T wave).
- Echocardiography. Glossy-looking endocardial surface and dilated left ventricle with poor contractibility.
- The skin test. Using mumps antigen, it is positive in 91 5 of infants with fibroelastosis. This test has less value after 2 years, due to the high incidence of false positives.
Treatment
It is the same suggested for dilated cardiomyopathies or myocardiditis, which should be aimed at eliminating the cause of the underlying disease and eradicating heart failure with low-dose digitalis, decongestants, vasodilators, and other supportive measures.
