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Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
07:41

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure

Published on: February 8, 2022

High prevalence of interatrial septal aneurysm in young adults who were born preterm

Pier Paolo Bassareo1, Vassilios Fanos, Melania Puddu

  • 1Department of Medical Sciences "M. Aresu" .

The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : the Official Journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians
|October 8, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Young adults born extremely low birthweight preterm have a higher prevalence of interatrial septal aneurysm (ASA), a cardiac abnormality linked to respiratory distress and patent ductus arteriosus.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neonatology
  • Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

  • Cardiovascular vulnerability in preterm-born young adults is a recognized concern.
  • Previous research has highlighted potential long-term cardiovascular risks for individuals born prematurely.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare echocardiographic characteristics of extremely low birthweight preterm (ex-ELBW) adults with term-born controls.
  • To investigate correlations between echocardiographic abnormalities in ex-ELBW individuals and clinical factors.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-seven ex-ELBW adults and 37 term-born controls underwent transthoracic echocardiography.
  • Standard mono- and bi-dimensional echocardiography with color Doppler was performed.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in standard echocardiographic or Doppler measurements were found between groups.
  • A significantly higher prevalence of interatrial septal aneurysm (ASA) was observed in ex-ELBW individuals compared to controls.
  • ASA was significantly associated with a history of respiratory distress and patent ductus arteriosus.

Conclusions:

  • Ex-ELBW individuals exhibit a higher prevalence of ASA, potentially linked to neonatal respiratory issues.
  • The presence of ASA in young adults, especially without other risk factors, warrants further investigation due to its association with stroke.
  • Transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography is recommended for ex-preterm individuals to screen for this potentially emboligenic cardiac abnormality.
Abstract

Keywords:
Interatrial septal aneurysmmigrainepatent foramen ovaleprematuritystroke

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