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Ischemic neurologic event in a child as a result of ventricular septal aneurysm
M Kowalski1, P Hoffman, J Rózański
1Noninvasive Cardiology Department, National Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland.
Insights
Aneurysm of the interventricular septum, a rare condition, can lead to serious neurological issues like stroke in children. Early detection via echocardiography is crucial for successful surgical intervention.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Interventricular septal aneurysm is a rare congenital heart defect.
- Neurological complications such as ischemic stroke are uncommon sequelae.
Observation:
- A 6-year-old boy presented with acute hemiparesis.
- Transthoracic echocardiography revealed an aneurysm of the interventricular septum without a shunt.
- The aneurysm contained two clots, suspected to be the source of cerebral infarction.
Findings:
- The interventricular septal aneurysm was successfully diagnosed using echocardiography.
- Surgical intervention based on echocardiographic findings led to a positive outcome.
- This case represents the first reported instance of significant neurological sequelae from an interventricular septal aneurysm.
Implications:
- Highlights the potential for rare cardiac anomalies to cause severe neurological events in pediatric patients.
- Emphasizes the diagnostic utility of echocardiography in identifying cardiac sources of embolic stroke.
- Underscores the importance of considering cardiac causes in pediatric stroke evaluations.
Abstract:
Aneurysm of the interventricular septum without a shunt was found by means of transthoracic echocardiography in a 6-year-old boy with acute hemiparesis. Until the time of the incident, he had been healthy. The aneurysmal sac contained 2 clots, presumably resulting in the ischemic cerebral infarct. On the basis of the echocardiographic scan, successful surgery was performed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing such dramatic sequelae of interventricular septal aneurysm.