Cardiac transplantation for pediatric giant cell myocarditis.
Giant cell myocarditis (GCM) is an organ-specific, autoimmune disease that infrequently affects children and generally has a more aggressive (often fatal) course than other forms of myocarditis. No data are available about the epidemiology of GCM in children. We describe a 13-year-old girl who presented with ventricular tachycardia and rapid hemodynamic deterioration that required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a bridge to heart transplantation. Histopathologic examination of the explanted heart revealed GCM. We review the demographic features, clinical course and post-transplant immunosuppressive therapy of all patients aged 19 years and younger reported to have had GCM.
Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA. bdas99@hotmail.com
Bibhuti B
BB
Das
Michael
M
Recto
Christopher
C
Johnsrude
Lisa
L
Klein
Karen
K
Orman
Lawrence
L
Shoemaker
Michael
M
Mitchell
Erle H
EH
Austin
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D005260:Female; D015726:Giant Cells; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009205:Myocarditis / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D011300:Preoperative Care; D017180:Tachycardia, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents