Everolimus treatment of a newborn with rhabdomyoma causing severe arrhythmia

Funda Öztunç1, Sezen U Atik1, Aslı O Güneş1

  • 1Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty,Istanbul University,Istanbul,Turkey.

Cardiology in the Young
|September 5, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Cardiac rhabdomyomas in children, often linked to tuberous sclerosis, can cause severe arrhythmias. This study shows successful management of a newborn with severe arrhythmia due to cardiac rhabdomyoma using everolimus.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Oncology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Rhabdomyomas are the most frequent cardiac tumors in pediatric patients.
  • Cardiac rhabdomyomas are frequently associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).
  • Arrhythmia can be the presenting symptom of TSC in children.

Observation:

  • A newborn presented with severe, life-threatening arrhythmia.
  • The arrhythmia was caused by a large cardiac rhabdomyoma.
  • The rhabdomyoma was unresponsive to conventional therapies.

Findings:

  • Treatment with everolimus led to successful management of the severe arrhythmia.
  • Everolimus demonstrated significant clinical benefit in this pediatric case.
  • This highlights everolimus as a potential therapeutic option for refractory cardiac rhabdomyomas.

Implications:

  • Everolimus offers a promising treatment avenue for pediatric cardiac rhabdomyomas, particularly those associated with TSC.
  • Early recognition and intervention with targeted therapies like everolimus can improve outcomes.
  • This case contributes to the growing evidence supporting mTOR inhibitors in managing TSC-related conditions.

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