Korean J Pediatr.  2014 May;57(5):232-239. 10.3345/kjp.2014.57.5.232.

Myocardial atrophy in children with mitochondrial disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy

• Lee TH
• Eun LY
• Choi JY
• Kwon HE
• Lee YM
• Kim HD
• Kang SW

• KMID: 2284122
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2014.57.5.232

Abstract

PURPOSE
Mitochondrial disease (MD) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are often associated with cardiomyopathy, but the myocardial variability has not been isolated to a specific characteristic. We evaluated the left ventricular (LV) mass by echocardiography to identify the general distribution and functional changes of the myocardium in patients with MD or DMD.
METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the echocardiographic data of 90 children with MD and 42 with DMD. Using two-dimensional echocardiography, including time-motion (M) mode and Doppler measurements, we estimated the LV mass, ratio of early to late mitral filling velocities (E/A), ratio of early mitral filling velocity to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/Ea), stroke volume, and cardiac output. A "z score" was generated using the lambda-mu-sigma method to standardize the LV mass with respect to body size.
RESULTS
The LV mass-for-height z scores were significantly below normal in children with MD (-1.02+/-1.52, P<0.001) or DMD (-0.82+/-1.61, P=0.002), as were the LV mass-for-lean body-mass z scores. The body mass index (BMI)-for-age z scores were far below normal and were directly proportional to the LV mass-for-height z scores in both patients with MD (R=0.377, P<0.001) and those with DMD (R=0.330, P=0.033). The LV mass-for-height z score correlated positively with the stroke volume index (R=0.462, P<0.001) and cardiac index (R=0.358, P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
LV myocardial atrophy is present in patients with MD and those with DMD and may be closely associated with low BMI. The insufficient LV mass for body size might indicate deterioration of systolic function in these patients.

Keyword

Myocardium; Mitochondrial diseases; Duchenne muscular dystrophy; Echocardiography

MeSH Terms

Atrophy*
Body Mass Index
Body Size
Cardiac Output
Cardiomyopathies
Child*
Echocardiography
Humans
Mitochondrial Diseases*
Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne*
Myocardium
Retrospective Studies
Stroke Volume