Cardiology in the young
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Cardiology in the young · Feb 2019
Case ReportsCellular fraction analysis of pericardial effusion helps the diagnosis of eosinophilic myocarditis.
Eosinophilic myocarditis is rare in children, and consequently, it is difficult to diagnose eosinophilic myocarditis rapidly. We report the clinical course of acute eosinophilic myocarditis with pericarditis in two adolescent boys and their associated electrocardiograms. The two patients, 13- and 14-year-old boys, developed cardiomegaly and chest pain with vomiting. ⋯ Some serial changes in the electrocardiogram occur during each stage of acute eosinophilic myocarditis. They are induced by eosinophilic granules, which are capable of inducing tissue damage and dysfunction, and those changes in the electrocardiogram resemble the changes after an acute myocardial infarction. It is important to know the characteristics of eosinophilic myocarditis in order to prevent lethal complications.
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Cardiology in the young · Feb 2019
Increased asymmetric dimethylarginine in vitamin B12 deficient adolescents.
Vitamin B12 deficiency induces hyper-hyperhomocysteinemia by inhibiting intracellular methionine re-methylation. Hyper-hyperhomocysteinemia increases the risk of atherosclerosis. Asymmetric dimethylarginine is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase and its level elevates in cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between asymmetric dimethylarginine and arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis in adolescents with vitamin B12 deficiency. ⋯ Our results suggest that endothelial dysfunction starts in the early stage of adolescent vitamin B12 deficiency, and vitamin B12-deficient adolescents have increased circulating asymmetric dimethylarginine, showing that endothelial dysfunction and increased carotid artery intima media thickness be related to atherosclerosis.