[Aspects of left ventricular function in children with chronic renal failure].
OBJECTIVE
To present the main morphological and functional cardiac modifications in children with chronic renal failure (CRF) and the effect of hemodialysis on systolic function of the left ventricle (LV).


METHODS
22 patients (5-19 years) with CRF of different degrees of severity. 16 of them were included in a hemodialysis (HD) program and they were followed-up for at least 1 year. The systolic and diastolic function of the LV were investigated by echocardiography (echo) 2D and Doppler.


RESULTS
Although the clinical signs of cardiac suffering were rare, echo detected concentric hypertrophy (9 cases), dilated cardiomyopathy (4 cases), mitral and tricuspidian regurgitation and pulmonary hypertension (3 cases) and pericardial effusion (10 cases). Systolic function was normal in most of the cases, but the diastolic function (evaluated by E/A ratio, isovolumic relaxation and deceleration time) was modified in 10 cases. The HD session induced the improvement of the LV systolic function parameters and the decrease of right ventricle dimensions.


CONCLUSIONS
Echocardiography has a higher sensitivity compared to ECG and chest X-ray in evaluation of the LV function, mainly in the cases without cardiac symptoms. An efficient chronic HD program and also a complex antihypertensive treatment contribute to the alleviation of the LV function. For the HD session, echo is useful in monitoring the systolic LV function.
Russu
Georgiana
G
Clinica I Pediatrie, Facultatea de Medicină, Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie Gr.T. Popa Iaşi.
Dimitriu
A G
AG
Nistor
N
N
Brumariu
O
O
Jităreanu
Cristina
C
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*