Browsing by Author "Popović, Saša (57200324005)"

Introduction/Objective Although cardiac tumors in the pediatric population are found infrequently, their occurrence is constant and with occasional variations. The purpose of this study is to show our experience with surgical options of these masses in two leading national university-level pediatric centers over four decades. Methods This retrospective study is presenting a total number of 24 surgically treated pediatric patients who have been operated on 1998–2020. There were 16 children with primary masses and eight children with metastatic cardiac tumors. Two patients with tumor-like intracardiac masses were not included in the series but had been mentioned as diagnostic challenges. Our patients did not have cardiac transplantation options. Results The average age of our patients was five and a half years, and the most frequent operated tumor was the cardiac myxoma. Four children had neurological symptoms. There were two deaths, one in the primary tumor group and one metastatic patient misdiagnosed as a primary tumor in the early ages of our department. We had two recurrent cases, a girl with Carney complex, and an infant with an extremely rare form of cardiac malignancy after a myxoma extraction. One child required a permanent pacemaker insertion. Conclusion Although rare, the pediatric cardiac tumors can be a source of different life-threatening conditions and lifelong sequelae. Therefore, special considerations should be paid to the diagnostic and surgical modalities of their treatment. © 2023, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.

Introduction/Objective The anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is rare congenital disease, which causes myocardial ischemia and subsequent heart failure in infants. The aim is early and mid-term follow up evaluation of the heart function after surgical repair of ALCAPA. Methods Investigation was retrospective and included medical records of the ALCAPA patients treated surgically, between 2009 and 2017, at the tertiary referent heart center. Results Five patients (four girls) with coronary anomaly were included in the study. All patients had significantly increased left ventricular end diastolic diameter (z-score 6.6 ± 2.43) and left atria size (z-score 3.09 ± 0.37), along with decreased systolic function (ejection fraction 34.8 ± 7.4% and fractional shortening 15.5 ± 3.4%). The surgery was performed on average at the age of 8.2 ± 7.8 months. Operative treatment was associated with early improvement in echocardiographic parameters (except the size of the left atria). Patients were followed for 4.5 ± 2.6 years. Improvement in echocardiographic parameters was age-related. Patients under four months had recovery early after surgery, those treated at 5.5–6 months of age had normalization after 12 months, and patient who was recognized in the second year of life had late recovery (after ≥ 24 months). Conclusion Operative treatment in the first 3–4 months of life is related with the most favorable prognosis and rapid normalization of the echocardiographic parameters. © 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved.