Asymptomatic congenital heart disease in children with skeletal chest deformity

Introduction: With respect to high association of skeletal chest deformity with cardiac abnormalities, these patients should be evaluated for evidence of cardiac involvement. So, we used echocardiography to investigate this association. Methods: This case-control study was done on 144 patients with skeletal chest deformity referred to OPD clinic. 240 persons were selected as control group, without any skeletal chest deformity and matched by age and sex with case group. Both groups were evaluated by 2-D color Doppler echocardiography and data were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: Mean age of males and females in case group was 7.48&plusmn;4 and 6.93&plusmn;3.94 and in control group was 7.81&plusmn;4.16 and 8.43&plusmn;4.02, respectively. 76.39% of case group and 36.67% of control group had asymptomatic CHD. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). 52 patients out of 70 patients with pigeon chest deformity, had heart disease and 60% with Mitral Valve Prolapse (MVP). 37 patients out of 62 patients with pectus excavatum deformity had heart disease and MVP was more frequent (59.67%). In 12 patients with scoliosis, MVP was in 6 patients (50%). We found that in control group, prevalence of asymptomatic CHD in patients with positive family history of skeletal chest deformity was 1.25 times more than patients without positive family history. Conclusion: Since the prevalence of MVP in this study was high, we suggest that all patients with skeletal chest deformity, especially in presence of cardiac murmur should be evaluated for cardiac abnormalities