Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 24, 2026

Noninvasive Assessment of Cardiac Abnormalities in Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis by Magnetic Resonance Microscopy Imaging in the Mouse
Published on: June 20, 2014
Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy in children
1Division of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, 3705 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. linda.russo@chp.edu
Insights
Pediatric idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy has a poor prognosis without transplantation. Lower cardiac filling pressures and left atrial to aortic root ratio at diagnosis correlate with longer survival in children with this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Background:
- Idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy (iRC) is a rare and severe condition in children.
- Understanding its natural history and prognostic factors is crucial for management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define the natural history of iRC in a pediatric population.
- To identify factors predictive of outcome in children diagnosed with iRC.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients diagnosed with iRC between 1970 and 2002.
- Evaluation of demographic data, clinical presentation, echocardiographic and hemodynamic findings, survival, and cause of death.
Main Results:
- Survival probabilities at 1, 5, and 10 years were 80.5%, 39%, and 20%, respectively.
- Median survival without transplantation was 2.2 years.
- Lower right and left ventricular end-diastolic pressures and a lower left atrial to aortic root dimension ratio (LA:Ao) at diagnosis were significantly correlated with longer survival.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric iRC carries a very poor prognosis without heart transplantation.
- Cardiac filling pressures and LA:Ao ratio at diagnosis are important predictors of survival.
- Symptoms at presentation did not influence survival time.
Objective:
To define the natural history of idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy in a paediatric population and to identify any factors predictive of outcome.
Design:
Retrospective analysis of patients born between 1970 and 2002 were identified from the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh cardiology database. Demographic data, mode of presentation, echocardiographic and haemodynamic findings at diagnosis, survival time, and manner of death were evaluated.
Setting:
Tertiary referral and transplant centre for paediatric patients with cardiac disease.
Patients:
All local and referred patients with idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy born after 1970 and under 21 years of age at time of diagnosis.
Results:
21 patients were identified. Probability of survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 80.5% (95% confidence interval (CI) 58 to 100), 39% (95% CI 17 to 61), and 20% (95% CI 0 to 42), respectively. Median age of presentation was 3.8 years (mean (SD) 5.7 (6.1) years). Median survival without transplantation was 2.2 years (mean (SD) 4.6 (5.4) years). Age at presentation, sex, and presence or absence of heart failure symptoms at presentation were not associated with clinical course. Right (p = 0.05) and left ventricular end diastolic pressures (p = 0.04) and ratio of left atrial to aortic root dimensions (LA:Ao) (p = 0.03) at presentation had a significantly negative correlation with survival time after diagnosis.
Conclusions:
Without transplantation, most children with restrictive cardiomyopathy have a very poor prognosis. Longer survival from diagnosis was correlated with lower LA:Ao and cardiac filling pressures at diagnosis. Survival time was not influenced by the symptoms present at diagnosis.
More Related Videos
03:45Investigating the Pathogenesis of MYH7 Mutation Gly823Glu in Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy using a Mouse Model
Published on: August 8, 2022
09:36Dual-Dye Optical Mapping of Hearts from RyR2R2474S Knock-In Mice of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia
Published on: December 22, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction
Cardiomyopathy I: Introduction and Classification
Cardiomyopathy II: Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care