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Investigating Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness in Children with Chronic Heart Failure due to Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Klaudia Rakusiewicz1, Krystyna Kanigowska1, Wojciech Hautz1

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, 04-730 Warsaw, Poland.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|September 10, 2020
PubMed

Insights

This study found no significant differences in ganglion cell complex thickness in children with chronic heart failure (CHF) due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) compared to healthy children. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) revealed no changes in these key retinal measurements.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cardiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Chronic heart failure (CHF) in children, often due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), can have systemic effects.
  • Assessing ocular health in pediatric patients with CHF is crucial for comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness in pediatric patients with CHF/DCM using optical coherence tomography (OCT).
  • To compare GCC parameters between children with CHF/DCM and healthy controls.

Main Methods:

  • Sixty eyes from 30 pediatric patients with CHF/DCM and 60 eyes from 30 healthy children were analyzed.
  • Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to measure average GCC (avgGCC), superior GCC (supGCC), inferior GCC (infGCC), global loss of volume (GLV), and focal loss of volume (FLV).
  • Statistical analysis compared parameters between the CHF/DCM group and the control group, and explored correlations with clinical factors.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in avgGCC, supGCC, infGCC, GLV, or FLV between children with CHF/DCM and healthy controls.
  • No correlations were observed between GCC parameters and ocular biometry, refractive errors, age, NT-proBNP, or LVEF.
  • No significant differences were noted based on sex or between the left and right eyes.

Conclusions:

  • This study, the first of its kind, indicates no alterations in GCC thickness in pediatric patients with DCM-related CHF.
  • The findings suggest that GCC thickness may not be a sensitive indicator of cardiac dysfunction in this specific pediatric population.
  • Further research may explore other ocular parameters or different etiologies of pediatric heart failure.
Abstract

Keywords:
chronic heart failuredilated cardiomyopathyganglion cell complexoptical coherence tomographyretinal ganglion cells

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