July - September 2012, Volume 8, Issue 3

Chentli F, Azzoug S, Belhimeur F

Heart Failure in Pediatric and Adolescent Hyperthyroidism

Acta Endo (Buc) 2012, 8 (3): 427-432
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2012.427

Introduction. Life threatening heart disorders secondary to paediatric and adolescent hyperthyroidism are exceptional.\r\nAim. We aimed to study cardiothyreosis frequency and outcome in children and adolescents with hyperthyroidism diagnosed between 1980 and 2010.\r\nMaterial and methods. In this retrospective study we observed 160 clinical and biological hyperthyroidisms in children (≤ 16 years) and adolescents (16-20 years).\r\nResults. Among them four girls aged 3, 16, 17 and 18, without previous familial history of heart diseases, had congestive heart failure (2.5%) without rhythmic troubles. Symptoms of cardiac insufficiency were resistant to digitalis and diuretics, but after anti thyroid drugs, there was an integral restitution of heart function in three\r\ncases and a persistent mitral, aortic and tricuspid regurgitation in one case arguing for heart rheumatic disease prior to hyperthyroidism.\r\nConclusion. Heart failure secondary to thyroid hormones excess is extremely rare before age of 20. Among 160 paediatric and adolescent hyperthyroidisms seen in 30\r\nyears, four girls had life threatening congestive cardiac insufficiency (2.5%), but after euthyroidism, heart insufficiency disappeared totally in all cases which\r\npleaded for a direct action of thyroid hormones excess on heart function.

Keywords: reversible congestive heart failure, hyperthyroidism, anti thyroid drugs

Correspondence: Professor Chentli Farida, Department of endocrine and metabolic diseases, Bab El Oued Hospital, 5 boulevard Said Touati, Algiers, Algeria. Phone/fax: 0012321960040;\r\nEmail: endofarida@hotmail.fr