title: Prognostic features of children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The presenting features and long-term outcome of 39 children (median age 6.5 months, range 1 day to 16 years) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) were reviewed to help determine the appropriate management of these patients. Four outcome groups were identified: those who died, improved, had IDC resolved or received transplants. Presenting clinical features of age, sex, race, congestive heart failure, cardiomegaly, and degree of systolic ventricular dysfunction did not predict final outcome. Left ventricular hypertrophy on the electrocardiogram was seen significantly more often in children who improved than in those who died or in whom IDC resolved (p = 0.002). A rhythm disturbance was also seen more often in those who died than in those who survived (p = 0.025). Of 36 patients treated medically, 12 (33%) died, 15 (42%) improved and 9 (25%) resolved. Eighteen of 26 (69%) patients presenting at age less than or equal to 2 years survived, whereas 6 of 10 patients greater than 2 years survived. There were no differences based on age at presentation, in the time to death or time of follow-up. Three patients received orthotopic heart transplants, 1 of whom died from graft failure. Thus, no clinical feature including age at presentation consistently predicts ultimate outcome in children with IDC.
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Children's Heart Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wiles
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McArthur
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Gillette
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fyfe
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Shelton
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000453:epidemiology; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome