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Takotsubo syndrome in the paediatric population: a case report and a systematic review
Alessia Urbinati1, Pierpaolo Pellicori, Federico Guerra
1aCastle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, United Kingdom bOspedali Riuniti di Ancona, Ancona, Italy.
Insights
Takotsubo syndrome, a heart condition, can affect children after brain bleeds. Paediatric patients show unique symptoms and heart changes compared to adults, but outcomes are similar.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Paediatrics
Background:
- Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is typically associated with postmenopausal women.
- Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) can precipitate cardiac complications.
Observation:
- A case of TTS in a 12-year-old male following ICH with a favorable outcome is presented.
- A systematic review of pediatric TTS cases (<18 years) was conducted.
- Paediatric TTS affects both sexes equally, unlike the female predominance in adults.
Findings:
- Pediatric patients more frequently present with heart failure symptoms or loss of consciousness.
- ST segment depression on ECG is more common in children.
- Nonapical variants and more severe left ventricular impairment are observed in younger patients.
- Troponin elevation, reduced ejection fraction, neurological/psychological comorbidities, and in-hospital outcomes are comparable between pediatric and adult TTS patients.
Implications:
- Recognizing unique pediatric TTS presentations is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.
- Further research into the specific triggers and pathophysiology of TTS in children is warranted.
- This highlights the importance of considering cardiac complications in pediatric neurological emergencies.
Abstract:
We describe the case of a takotsubo syndrome in a 12-year-old male patient following an acute intracranial haemorrhage, which had a favourable outcome. We also performed a systematic review of published case reports in patients younger than 18 years. Although takotsubo syndrome is common in postmenopausal women, in the paediatric population it equally affects both sexes. Compared with adults, paediatric patients more commonly present with heart failure symptoms or loss of consciousness. A higher proportion of paediatric patients have ST segment depression on ECG. Moreover, in younger patients, a high proportion has nonapical anatomical variants and more severe left ventricular impairment. The increase in troponin and the decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction, the prevalence of neurological or psychological disorders, and in-hospital outcome are similar between adults and children.
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