PROGNOSTIC FEATURES IN CHILDHOOD IDIOPATHIC DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

The clinical course, noninvasive findings and outcome of 25 infants an d children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were reviewed retros pectively to identify factors predictive of outcome both at diagnosis and at short-term follow-up. Patients, stratified by clinical status a t last visit, were assigned to groups encompassing those who were asym ptomatic and receiving no medication, those patients who were symptoma tic or needed medication to control symptoms, and those who were dead, awaiting heart transplantation, or had undergone transplantation. Old er age at diagnosis was strongly associated with poor clinical outcome (p=0.005), as was the presence of arrhythmias at the time of diagnosi s (p=0.008) and at short-term follow-up (p=0.003). Echocardiographic s tudies at diagnosis failed to predict eventual clinical outcome, altho ugh patients who ultimately recovered and did not need medications ten ded to demonstrate improvement in or resolution of echocardiographic a bnormalities within 6 months of diagnosis.