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Congenital heart malformations in Jutland, Denmark: a three year necropsy study in children aged 0-14 years.
A Vesterby1, K Nielsen, L Borg
1University Institute of Pathology, Kommunehospitalet, Arhus, Denmark.
Insights
This study analyzed 1,154 children in Denmark, finding 22.6% had congenital heart malformations. Sequential segmental analysis proved effective for classifying these complex cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Developmental Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Congenital heart malformations represent a significant global health concern.
- Accurate classification is crucial for understanding etiology and improving outcomes.
- Previous descriptive methods for congenital heart disease lacked standardization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of sequential segmental analysis in describing congenital heart malformations.
- To determine the prevalence and common types of congenital heart malformations in a defined population.
- To investigate associations between congenital heart malformations and extracardiac anomalies or chromosomal abnormalities.
Main Methods:
- A prospective necropsy study was conducted in Jutland, Denmark.
- Sequential segmental analysis was employed to describe all congenital heart malformations.
- Data on 1,154 children, including malformation types and associated conditions, were collected and analyzed.
Main Results:
- A total of 261 children (22.6%) presented with congenital heart malformations.
- The most frequent malformations identified were patent ductus arteriosus and ventricular septal defect.
- Extracardiac malformations and chromosomal abnormalities were significantly more prevalent in children with congenital heart malformations (30.3% vs. 16.6%).
Conclusions:
- Sequential segmental analysis offers a logical and precise framework for classifying congenital heart malformations.
- Routine implementation of this method is recommended for standardized reporting and research.
- Congenital heart malformations frequently co-occur with other developmental anomalies.
Abstract:
The use of sequential segmental analysis for describing congenital heart malformations was the method of assessment used in a prospective necropsy study covering Jutland, a well defined geographical and demographic area of Denmark. The study group was 1,154 children of whom 261 (22.6%) had a congenital heart malformation. The most common malformations were ductus arteriosus and ventricular septal defect and there were 77 cases in which connections between chambers or between chambers and great arteries were anomalous (68 liveborn; 37 male and 31 female: nine stillborn; two male and seven female). No difference in sex distribution or seasonal variation was found between those with congenital heart disease and those without. Extracardiac malformations and chromosomal abnormalities were more often seen in children with congenital heart malformation than those without (30.3% vs 16.6%). The sequential segmental analysis is a logical and precise way of describing congenital heart malformations and it should be routinely used to classify cases of congenital heart malformation.