The spatial QRS-T angle outperforms the Italian and Seattle ECG-based criteria for detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in pediatric patients.
BACKGROUND
The spatial peaks QRS-T angle has been shown to differentiate adult patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) from controls. We hypothesized that the spatial peaks QRS-T angle would, in isolation, be more accurate than the Italian 12-lead ECG Pre-participation Screening criteria or the Seattle criteria for detecting hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in pediatric patients.


METHODS
A retrospective study of pediatric patients with HCM compared to age and gender-matched control patients was undertaken. Significance, odds ratios, sensitivity and specificity of HCM detection of the visually derived spatial peaks QRS-T angle were compared to those of traditional 12-lead ECG criteria using: 1) Italy's National Pre-participation Screening Programme criteria; and 2) described criteria from Seattle.


RESULTS
ECG results from 130 pediatric HCM patients (14.2±4.4years) were compared to 470 control patients (normal echocardiograms, mean age 13.4±4.6years). Mean±standard deviation (SD) values for spatial peaks QRS-T angles were 120.4±40.7 and 21.3±13.7 degrees for HCM and controls, respectively (P<0.001). A spatial peaks QRS-T angle cutoff value of >54.9 degrees yielded greater sensitivity and specificity (93.1% and 98.7%, respectively) for detecting HCM over ECG criteria from Italy (68.5% and 48.1%, respectively) or Seattle (64.6% and 78.9%, respectively) with odds ratios at 1039.70 (95% CI 363.03 to 2977.67), 2.01 (95% CI 1.33 to 3.04) and 6.84 (4.49-10.44), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
In our cohort, a visually derived spatial peaks QRS-T angle has increased sensitivity and specificity for detection of HCM in pediatric patients compared to currently utilized Italian or Seattle ECG criteria.
Children's Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Daniel
D
Cortez
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Nandita
N
Sharma
Children's Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Jean
J
Cavanaugh
University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Froilan
F
Tuozo
University of Illinois College of Medicine.
Gwendolyn
G
Derk
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Emily
E
Lundberg
Nicollier-Schlegel SARL, Trélex, Switzerland.
Todd T
TT
Schlegel
CHOC Children's, Orange, CA, USA.
Keith
K
Weiner
University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Nafiz
N
Kiciman
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Juan
J
Alejos
Children's Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Bruce
B
Landeck
University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Jamil
J
Aboulhosn
Children's Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
Shelley
S
Miyamoto
University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
Anjan
A
Batra
CHOC Children's, Orange, CA, USA.
Anthony C
AC
McCanta
D000293:Adolescent; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States
Italian criteria; Screening; Seattle criteria; Vectorcardiography