Cardiac dysfunction in HIV infected children: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection can affect multiple organ systems.
• Cardiac involvement is a known complication of HIV, but data in asymptomatic children is limited.
• Early detection of cardiac abnormalities is crucial for managing pediatric HIV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the prevalence of cardiac abnormalities in HAART-naive, asymptomatic HIV-positive children.
• To identify specific echocardiographic findings associated with HIV infection in this age group.
• To assess the utility of echocardiography in detecting subclinical cardiac dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 26 perinatally HIV-infected children (age 1-9 years), naive to HAART and asymptomatic for cardiac disease, underwent echocardiography.
• Children were classified according to the revised CDC classification for HIV infection.
• Echocardiographic parameters were analyzed to detect structural and functional cardiac abnormalities.

Main Results:

• Echocardiographic abnormalities were detected in 20 (76.9%) of the children.
• Left ventricular dilatation and left ventricular hypertrophy were the most common findings, each present in 10 (38.5%) patients.
• Children in CDC category B showed a statistically significant higher prevalence of abnormal echocardiographic findings.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac abnormalities are prevalent in asymptomatic, HAART-naive HIV-positive children.
• Echocardiography is a valuable tool for identifying subclinical cardiac dysfunction in pediatric HIV.
• Routine cardiac screening with echocardiography should be considered in the management of HIV-infected children.