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Cardiac findings in children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
Ibrahim Gul1, Ali Kaya, Ahmet Sami Güven
1Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey. dribrahimgul@hotmail.com
Insights
Pediatric patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) show cardiac involvement, including pericardial effusion and wall motion abnormalities. These cardiac issues in children with CCHF are generally mild and reversible.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a multisystemic viral illness.
- Cardiac involvement in adult CCHF patients is documented.
- Pediatric CCHF cardiac manifestations require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic findings in pediatric patients diagnosed with CCHF.
- To assess the prevalence and nature of cardiac involvement in children with CCHF.
Main Methods:
- Study included pediatric patients (<16 years) diagnosed with CCHF via clinical, epidemiological, and serological data.
- Comprehensive cardiologic evaluation performed, including standard 12-lead ECG and echocardiography.
- Follow-up echocardiography conducted to assess the resolution of cardiac abnormalities.
Main Results:
- Twenty-three pediatric CCHF patients (mean age 12±2 years) were analyzed.
- All ECG parameters were within normal age-specific ranges.
- Echocardiography revealed minimal pericardial effusion in 30% and segmental wall motion abnormalities (hypokinesia) in 65% of patients.
- Follow-up imaging showed resolution of wall motion abnormalities in all patients and persistence of effusion in only 28% of affected cases.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac involvement in pediatric CCHF is more common than in adults but presents with milder, largely reversible findings.
- The overall clinical course of CCHF in children is milder compared to adults.
- These findings highlight the importance of cardiac monitoring in pediatric CCHF cases.
Background:
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) involves the multi-organ systems. The involvement of the heart in adult patients has been described previously. We investigated the electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings of pediatric patients with CCHF.
Material/Methods:
Patients younger than 16 years of age diagnosed with CCHF were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of CCHF infection was based upon typical clinical and epidemiological findings and serological tests. All patients underwent a thorough cardiologic evaluation. A standard 12-lead electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed.
Results:
Twenty-three consecutive patients who were hospitalized with diagnosis of CCHF were enrolled in the study (mean age: 12±2 years, 6 female). All electrocardiographic parameters were within normal ranges according to age. Seven patients (30%) had minimal (<1 cm) pericardial effusion. Fifteen (65%) patients had segmental wall motion abnormalities (hypokinesia). A second echocardiography revealed that all wall motion abnormalities had disappeared; the pericardial effusion persisted in only 2 of 7 patients (28%).
Conclusions:
Cardiac involvement appears to be more frequent in children with CCHF disease than in adults, but it is slighter and almost totally reversible; however, the course of the disease in children is milder than it is in adults.
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