Uhl's anomaly. Differential diagnosis and indication for cardiac transplantation in an infant

Investigação Citogenômica de Crianças com Doença Cardíaca Congênita: Experiência de um Centro no Brasil

Fundamento

Algumas síndromes têm características específicas e facilmente reconhecíveis, enquanto outras podem ser mais complexas de se identificar e podem apresentar diferentes manifestações fenotípicas, por exemplo. Um diagnóstico etiológico é importante para entender a natureza da doença, para estabelecer o prognóstico e para começar o tratamento, permitindo a inclusão de pacientes na sociedade e reduzindo o custo financeiro dessas doenças.

Objetivo

A proposta inicial deste estudo foi a triagem citogenética para detectar a síndrome de deleção 22q11.2 (SD22q11.2) em recém-nascidos e crianças com doença cardíaca congênita utilizando a técnica da amplificação multiplex de sondas dependente de ligação (MLPA). Assim, por meio da pesquisa, outras mudanças genômicas foram identificadas nesses pacientes cardíacos. Nosso objetivo se estendeu a investigar essas outras mudanças citogenéticas.

Métodos

Investigamos 118 recém-nascidos com doenças cardíacas congênitas nascidos consecutivamente durante um ano, utilizando a técnica da MLPA.

Resultados

A técnica da MLPA permitiu a detecção da SD22q11.2 em 10/118 pacientes (8,5%). Outras alterações genômicas foram identificadas em 6/118 pacientes (5%): 1p36 del, 8p23 del (2 casos), 7q dup, 12 dup e 8q24 dup.

Conclusão

Este estudo ressalta a relevância da detecção de alterações genômicas que estão presentes em recém-nascidos e crianças com doenças cardíacas congênitas por meio de ferramentas citogenômicas.

A Case of Prenatally Diagnosed Uhl's Anomaly with Absent Pulmonary Valve Leaflets and Dysplastic Tricuspid Valve

Uhl's anomaly is a very rare malformation of unknown cause, characterized by complete or partial absence of the right ventricular myocardium. The cardiac malformation causes progressive right heart failure, increased right-sided cardiac pressure, massive peripheral edema, and ascites. Patients usually present in infancy and rarely survive to adulthood. Previously, diagnosis was made at post-mortem evaluation, but advances in cardiac imaging now permit diagnosis during fetal life. We report a case of Uhl's anomaly in a newborn baby imaged at 23 + 3 weeks of gestation by fetal echocardiography. There was an aneurysmally dilated thin-walled right ventricle with hypertrophy of the right ventricular apical muscles, the tricuspid valve was dysplastic, and the pulmonary valve leaflets were absent.

Large Right Ventricle Thrombus in Uhl's Anomaly: A Rare Presentation of Extremely Rare Disease

Uhl’s anomaly is an extremely rare congenital cardiac malformation and is characterized by the partial or complete absence of right ventricular myocardium. The absence of myocardium may be the result of primary non-development of myocytes or a form of selective apoptosis. It is mainly sporadic although some familial occurrences have been reported. Congestive cardiac failure is the most common mode of presentation. Associated congenital cardiac malformations are also reported. We report a case of a 17-year-old male who presented with symptoms and signs of right heart failure, during evaluation found to have large right ventricle free wall thrombus.

Uhl's anomaly: A one and a half ventricular repair in a patient presenting with cardiac arrest

Uhl’s anomaly, first reported in 1952, is an extremely rare congenital cardiac defect characterized by partial or complete loss of the right ventricular myocardium and unknown etiology. Fewer than 100 cases have been described. The response to medical management is poor and there is no known ideal surgical approach or timing for treatment. We report the case of a previously active adolescent male presenting with cardiac arrest, who underwent successful bidirectional cavopulmonary anastomosis (“Glenn” anastomosis) with right atrial reduction and right ventricular free wall plication.

Uhl’s anomaly: rare but does exist

A 17-year-old boy presented with facial puffiness and swelling in the lower limbs for 6 months and one episode of syncope 15 days earlier. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a dilated right atrium and right ventricle with right ventricular systolic dysfunction. The free wall of the right ventricle was thinned out and devoid of myocardium and trabeculations. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed an extremely dilated thin-walled right ventricle and absence of trabeculations, with no fat signal in the right ventricular wall, in contrast to that seen in arrhythmogenic ventricular dysplasia, which confirmed the diagnosis of Uhl’s anomaly.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Uhl Anomaly with Autopsy Correlation

Uhl anomaly is a rare form of congenital hypoplasia of the right ventricular myocardium. Here, we report, a rare finding in fetal cardiac ultrasound in a 33-year-old woman who presented at 20 weeks' of gestation. A diagnosis of Uhl anomaly was made. An autopsy was performed at 23weeks gestation after obtaining permission for medicolegal termination of pregnancy. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis. Diagnosing Uhl anomaly in fetal life is essential since mortality and survival mainly depend on the severity of right ventricle dysfunction related to, the either partial or complete absence of the myocardium. Hence, surviving cases need to be followed up carefully and counselled accordingly.

Uhl's anomaly detected in-utero

Uhl's anomaly is rarely diagnosed antenatally. It is a condition characterised by partial or complete absence of the right ventricular myocardium and the heart conducting system. We present a case of Uhl's anomaly diagnosed during fetal life on prenatal ultrasound, with eight years postnatal follow‐up.

Uhl's anomaly: a difficult prenatal diagnosis

Uhl's anomaly is an evolutive disease leading to terminal right ventricular failure. The most difficult differential diagnosis at presentation is the Ebstein disease. We describe the evolution of a foetus with Uhl's anomaly from 21 to 30 weeks of gestation, with progressive reduction in the right ventricular anterior myocardium suggestive of apoptosis, leading to foetal demise.

Uhl's anomaly: Absence of the right ventricular myocardium

We report a case of Uhl's anomaly in a 3-week-old infant that underwent central shunt placement, patent duct us arteriosus and main pulmonary artery ligation. The infant presented with room air saturation of 43%, dilated right ventricle with decreased function and dilated right atrium. Diagnosis was established with a myocardial biopsy.

Uhl's Anomaly with Absent Tricuspid Valve in an Infant

Uhl's anomaly is characterized by absence of the myocardial layer of the right ventricle, with opposition of the endocardium and epicardium. It is rarely associated with other congenital malformation. Here, we reported the rare association of Uhl's anomaly with absent tricuspid valve in an infant.

A rare case of partial absence of the right ventricular musculature in asymptomatic adult man: partial Uhl's anomaly

Uhl's anomaly is a myocardial disorder of unknown cause that is characterized by complete or partial absence of the myocardium of the right ventricle. The disease may represent a cause of right heart dilatation and failure. Although most cases of Uhl's anomaly end fatally in infancy or childhood, an initial presentation during adulthood has been reported in rare cases. We report a very rare case of partial absence of the right ventricular musculature or partial Uhl's anomaly that incidentally found in asymptomatic adult man.

A 23-year-old male with Uhl's anomaly

We report a case of a 23-year-old male with Uhl's anomaly who presented with nonparoxysmal atrioventricular junctional tachycardia with Mobitz I. The patient underwent successful total cavopulmonary conversion.

Uhl’s Anomaly in a Domestic Shorthair Cat

A 2-year-old, neutered male, domestic shorthair cat was presented for investigation of dyspnea and episodic weakness. Clinical and ultrasonographic features were consistent with right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Pathological findings documented Uhl’s anomaly. Although rare, Uhl’s anomaly should be a differential diagnosis for cats with right-sided congestive heart failure. In particular, Uhl’s anomaly could be misdiagnosed as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy due to the similarity of clinical and echocardiographic findings.

Long-Term Survival of Uhl's Anomaly with Total Cavopulmonary Conversion

We report a long-term survivor with Uhl's anomaly who underwent one and a half ventricle repair combined with a partial right ventriculectomy in infancy, followed by successful total cavopulmonary conversion with right ventricular exclusion 5 years later. The combination of total cavopulmonary connection and right ventricular exclusion could be the optimal surgical option for a critically ill infant with Uhl's anomaly.

Right ventricular cardiomyopathy: timing of heart transplantation in Uhl's anomaly and arrythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Transplant indications for right ventricular (RV) cardiomyopathy have not been defined. We report on two boys, aged 18 and 17 years, one with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and one with Uhl's anomaly. Both had implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for the prevention of sudden death (SD), but were not considered urgent heart transplant candidates due to the absence of heart failure symptoms. A ventricular tachycardia-induced cardiac collapse occurred at school in the Uhl patient and in hospital in the ARVC patient. In both patients, ICD shocks intermittently restored sinus rhythm but with inadequate circulation. Only the ARVC patient received early chest compressions and was saved to heart transplantation. Due to RV failure, both patients had evidence of Fontan-type physiology, in whom pulmonary blood flow is passive and propelled by the transpulmonary pressure gradient and intrathoracic pressure alterations produced by breathing. In these cases, at resuscitation, systemic circulation is not established until after pulmonary blood flow is restored by breathing or chest compressions. An ICD alone is therefore not sufficient for the prevention of SD. When invasive data show evidence of Fontan-type circulation, the patient may be considered for heart transplantation.