Cardiac manifestations in HIV infected children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the occurrence of cardiac involvement in HIV infected children and describe its spectrum using non-invasive tests like ECG and 2-Dimensional Echocardiography (2-D ECHO).
METHODS: A cross sectional observational study was carried out on 100 HIV infected children between 1 and 18 y of age. The various cardiac manifestations were determined clinically, by electrocardiogram (ECG) and 2-D echocardiography.
RESULTS: Seventy four percent of the patients were males with a mean age of 9.62 ± 3.62 y. Seventy seven percent children were in WHO stage I. Sixty five percent did not have significant immune suppression. Eighty six percent children were on HAART (mean duration- 35.12 ± 29.48 mo). Fifty nine percent of children were symptomatic and only nine patients were clinically suspected to have cardiac involvement. ECG abnormalities were found in 14 % cases. The most common abnormal echocardiographic finding was left ventricular diastolic dysfunction by tissue Doppler (E/E') observed in 64 % cases followed by systolic dysfunction (37 %), abnormal left ventricular mass (29 %), pericardial effusion (2 %) and dilated cardiomyopathy (2 %); 64.2 % cases with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) were in WHO stage III.
CONCLUSIONS: Involvement of heart in HIV/AIDS is mostly subclinical. HIV myocarditis produces systolic as well as diastolic dysfunction. At present, echocardiography remains the only tool for identifying heart involvement in HIV-infected children. Early diagnosis and intervention may halt the progression of the disease, thereby preventing morbidity and mortality.