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Published on: May 16, 2020
Dilated cardiomyopathy in Indian children
Shyam S Kothari1, Rajesh A Dhopeshwarkar, Anita Saxena
1Cardiothoracic Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi. kothariss@vsnl.com
Insights
Dilated cardiomyopathy in Indian children has a high infant mortality rate but improves in many diagnosed later. Further research into prognostic factors is needed.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in children presents a significant clinical challenge.
- Understanding its course and prognosis in diverse populations is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the clinical course and prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy in Indian children.
- To identify factors influencing outcomes in pediatric DCM.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 82 children (under 12 years) with DCM.
- Analysis of clinical data, laboratory results, and serial echocardiograms.
- Mean follow-up of 25.09 months.
Main Results:
- Overall mortality was 11.5%; infants had a 25% mortality rate.
- Actuarial survival reached 87% at 5 years for those diagnosed after infancy.
- 59% of patients showed improvement on serial echocardiograms; poor prognostic factors included age <1 year and specific echocardiographic ratios.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy follows a varied clinical course, with high mortality in infants.
- A significant proportion of children diagnosed beyond infancy experience improvement or recovery.
- Further investigation into prognostic variables is essential for better management.
Background:
The aim of this study was to ascertain the clinical course and prognosis of dilated cardiomyopathy in Indian children.
Methods And Results:
The records of 82 children with dilated cardiomyopathy (50 males), less than 12 years of age (mean age 2.9+/-3.07 years), were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical variables, laboratory parameters, and serial echocardiograms were analyzed. On a mean follow-up of 25.09 months (range 15 days-118 months), 9 out of 78 patients died (11.5%) (CI: 4.5%-18.5%). Mortality was 25% (6/24) in infants but the actuarial survival was 87% at 5 years in those diagnosed beyond infancy. Serial echocardiograms of 66 patients (80%) were available. Of these, 39 patients (59%) (CI: 47%-70%) improved, 12 (18%) (CI: 9%-27%) deteriorated or died, and 15 (23%) (CI: 13%-33%) remained unchanged during the follow-up. Among the prognostic variables, only age less than 1 year, higher cardiothoracic ratio, and a higher ratio of left ventricular diastolic dimension/posterior wall thickness was associated with a poor outcome on univariate analysis.
Conclusions:
Dilated cardiomyopathy in children pursues a heterogeneous course with a high mortality in infants. A large number of children diagnosed beyond infancy improve or recover. Further characterization of prognostic variables is warranted.
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