[Secondary myocardial hypertrophy in a very small premature infant treated with dexamethasone].
BACKGROUND
There is an increasing number of reports about the use of dexamethasone in the treatment of preterm infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The possibility of myocardial hypertrophy developing during this treatment has not been examined.


METHODS
As an example the course of one patient is described. We examined seven preterm infants (mean birth weight 791 g, mean gestational age 26 weeks) with eight treatments of dexamethasone retrospectively. The therapy was associated with a significant increase of the mean thickness of the interventricular septum and of the left ventricular posterior wall. After the termination of dexamethasone therapy the abnormal echocardiographic findings disappeared.


CONCLUSIONS
We suggest careful monitoring of preterm infants treated with dexamethasone by performing serial echocardiographic investigations.
Korsch
E
E
Kinderkrankenhaus der Stadt Köln.
Gillor
A
A
Groneck
P
P
Bläker
F
F
D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies