Study of some electrocardiographic and echocardiographic data in toddelers and children with primary glomerulonephropathy

Background and Objective: Primary glomerulonephropathy mainly acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) is the most common cause of hypertensive heart failure in the pediatric age as APSGN may involve various systems including cardiovascular system. There are few research publications on electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic (two-dimensional [2D]-echo) data in childrenwith primary glomerulonephropathy. The aim is to study some ECG and 2D-echo data in Egyptian pediatric patients with ANS). Subjects and Methods: Sixty children with ANS were included and subjected to clinical, laboratory, ECG for corrected QT (QTc) interval and 2D echocardiographic study on admission and repeated at 6 and 12 weeks using GE Vivid 7 (GE Medical System, Horten, Norway with a 3.5-MHz multifrequency transducer) to measure left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrium to aorta ratio and E/A ratio. Results: Prolonged QTc interval was reported in 22 patients (37%), of whom 18 had hypertension. Fourteen of the 60 children had LVEF <60%. The same children also had left atrium/aorta ratio >2 and E/A ratio more than two. LVEF became within normal values by 1½ month (6 weeks) in 12 patients, two become normal by three months of follow-up. Four (28.6%) from 14 children with low LVEF had normal arterial blood pressure. All the 14 children had completely recovered on follow-up period of 3 months. Conclusion: Changes in ECG and echo data which were reported in the acute phase of ANS appear to be temporary (transient) as they became within normal values in almost all children by 12 weeks period of follow-up. Although elevated blood pressure was the most common etiology of congestive heart failure in children with ANS, the impact of primary myocardial functional disturbance could also be put into consideration.