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Cardiovascular function in Omani children with sickle cell anaemia

Y A Wali1, P Venugopalan, E Rivera

  • 1Department of Child Health, College of Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. yawali@squ.edu.om

Annals of Tropical Paediatrics
|November 7, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) often show cardiac changes, including murmurs and enlarged heart chambers. However, these changes did not appear to affect heart function or cause pulmonary hypertension in this study.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Cardiovascular Research

Background:

  • Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic blood disorder with known cardiovascular complications.
  • Cardiac involvement in pediatric SCA requires further investigation to understand its impact on heart structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate cardiac chamber dimensions and function in children with SCA.
  • To assess the prevalence of systolic murmurs and cardiomegaly in pediatric SCA patients.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac dimensions and function.
  • Clinical examination for murmurs and cardiomegaly.
  • Comparison of SCA patients with a control group.

Main Results:

  • Systolic murmurs were present in 61% of SCA children.
  • Cardiomegaly was detected in 39% of SCA children.
  • SCA patients exhibited significantly higher left and right ventricular, left atrial, and aortic root dimensions compared to controls (p < 0.05).
  • Dilated cardiac chambers were not linked to impaired systolic or diastolic left ventricular function.
  • No significant pulmonary hypertension was observed in SCA patients.

Conclusions:

  • Children with SCA frequently present with cardiac chamber dilation and murmurs.
  • Despite cardiac dilation, left ventricular function and pulmonary artery pressures appear preserved in pediatric SCA.
  • Regular cardiac monitoring is essential for children with SCA to detect potential structural changes.

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