[Myocarditis in early childhood. Two years' experience at the pediatric cardiology unit at the S. João Hospital].
OBJECTIVE
The authors studied 14 children with myocarditis in order to correlate clinical and laboratorial data with evolution.


METHODS
Retrospective study of all cases with myocarditis admitted during a 2 year period.


METHODS
Unidade de Cardiologia Pediátrica do HSJ.


METHODS
14 patients, aged 7 to 34 months, with the diagnosis of myocarditis on the ground of biopsy or necropsy findings. The clinical data analysed were: medical history, physical examinations, hematological and biochemical studies, chest X ray, electro and echocardiogram, virus and immunological studies and cardiac catheterization.


RESULTS
All the patients had congestive heart failure and 10 had a history of a previous viral infection. Those who survived the first week were submitted to hematological and biochemical studies, chest X Ray, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, virological and immunological studies and cardiac catheterization. All patients were treated with captopril and furosemide, 11 received dobutamine and 6 an immunosuppressive regime. Six patients died in the first week and one, nine months after diagnosis. One patient had an unfavourable course and the other six improved clinically.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors were not able to find any correlation between laboratorial data and the disease outcome. Age less than one year and an abrupt onset were associated with 100% mortality. Immunosuppression was associated with improvement in 66% of the patients.
Nunes
T
T
Unidade de Cardiologia Pediátrica, Departamento de Pediatria, Hospital de S. João, Faculdade de Medicina do Porto.
Vaz
T
T
Monterroso
J
J
Ferreira
G
G
Granado
I
I
Cunha
D L
DL
Santos
N T
NT
D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011174:Portugal
Miocardites na primeria infância. Experiência de dois anos da unidade de cardiologia pediátrica do Hospital de S. João.