Clinical profile and outcome of restrictive cardiomyopathy in children

The clinical profile and outcome of idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy in a group of eight children are reviewed. There were six girls and two boys. Age at presentation was 4.0 +/- 2.6 years (range 1.3 to 9.5 years). All patients had evidence of congestive heart failure with systemic venous congestion. Right or left atrial enlargement was the most consistent ECG finding and was present in all patients. Left ventricular shortening fraction was normal in five patients, increased in two, and mildly reduced in one. The most striking echocardiographic feature was severe biatrial dilatation in the presence of normal or near-normal ventricular cavity dimensions. Marked elevation of left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was noted in all seven patients undergoing cardiac catheterization (34 +/- 7 torr; range 24 to 40 torr). Right ventricular end-diastolic pressure was elevated but significantly different from left ventricular pressure (18 +/- 7 torr; p less than 0.01). A characteristic early diastolic dip with a rapid rise to an elevated plateau (square root sign) was present in five of seven patients. Median survival was 1.4 years. Six patients died 0.2 to 7.0 years after they were initially seen. The actuarial survival rate 1.5 years after presentation was 44%, decreasing to 29% at 4 years. Restrictive cardiomyopathy has a worse prognosis in children than in adults. In part this may reflect the more advanced symptoms of congestive failure at initial presentation. Pediatric patients should be considered for early cardiac transplantation.