Echocardiographic findings in children with chronic kidney disease

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are considered major cause of morbidity and mortality among children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study aims to determine the incidence of CVD in children with CKD, to analyze risk factors and early predictors for late onset atherosclerosis. Thirty-five CKD children [25 on regular hemodialysis (HD) and 10 on conservative management] were evaluated clinically. Left ventricular (LV) functions and carotid artery intima-media thickness (c-IMT) were assessed using conventional echocardiography, pulsed wave Doppler (PWD) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI). There was decreased E/A ratio and increased E/E' ratio in 66% and 77% of patients, respectively signifying diastolic cardiac dysfunction. There was a significant correlation between increased A' value (peak late diastolic annular velocity) and both increased serum cholesterol and anemia (P = 0.009, 0.004 respectively). Serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) significantly correlated negatively with inter-ventricular septal thickness and LV end-diastolic dimensions (P = 0.05, 0.02, respectively) and positively with E' value (peak early diastolic annular velocity) (P = 0.04). Abnormal c-IMT correlated significantly with HD duration (correlation coefficient = 0.428, P = 0.01) and with both increased serum cholesterol and decreased serum HDL (P = 0.021, 0.031, respectively). Diastolic dysfunction and abnormal LV dimensions are present in patients with CKD even those on conservative management. TDI appears to be more impressive than PWD in assessing early myocardial dysfunction. Increased c-IMT and dyslipidemia are prevalent in patients with CKD and more prevalent in patients on HD.