[Factors predictive of mortality in Ebstein's anomaly]

Nearly 150 years after the description of Ebstein's anomaly the prognostic factors are not well known. Besides the foetal and neonatal forms which carry a poor prognosis the adult forms are often well tolerated and pose the difficult problem of management. This was a retrospective study of 73 patients with this malformation followed up between 1967 and 2002 at the University Hospital of Bordeaux. There were 14 deaths (19%) half of which (7) occurred during the first 3 months of life. The factors predictive of mortality (p<0.05) were: age, associated malformations, Classes III-IV of the New York Heart Association, cardiac failure, malaises, cyanosis, a raised cardiothoracic index, and a high mitro-tricuspid displacement indexed to body surface area. Supraventricular arrhythmia and the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndome do not seem to be associated with extramortality. Surgery, with reference to published studies, seems to improve survival, functional status and decrease the prevalence of arrhythmias. It would appear to be justified to propose surgery when functional status declines or when signs of poor prognosis are observed.