Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM/HOCM) is characterized by thickening of heart walls with no cause clinically. This can results in poor capability of the heart for pumping of blood forward to the body.
It is a genetic disease.
Symptoms
Child can be asymptomatic or may have symptoms like
- Easy fatigue, irregular heartbeat, chest pain, fainting attacks, difficulty in breathing due to heart failure etc.
- Child can be prone for sudden cardiac arrest as well.
Diagnosis
- ECG
- Echocardiogram of the child
- Cardiac MRI
- Genetic testing should also be done for confirmation.
- Sometimes, stress testing is also advised.
- Rarely cardiac catheterization
Treatment
- Drugs like beta blockers, diuretics, disopyramide etc
- If prone for cardiac arrest then automated implantable cardiac defibrillator(AICD) is advised for abnormal heart beats and rhythm
- Alcohol septal ablation
- Surgery can be done in the form of excessive muscle resection (septal myomectomy) and in later stages; the only option left is transplant of the heart.
Prognosis
HCM is having annual mortality of approximately 1% per year.
Dr Gaurav Agrawal is a Pediatric Cardiologist (Child and Fetal heart Specialist). Dr Agrawal is a pediatrician who has specialized training in the treatment of various child heart related problems (neonates to 18 years of age). He is also having a vast experience in fetal echocardiography.
He is one of the very few pediatricians in India who practices pediatric cardiology exclusively. Cardiac problems in children are common in children, sometimes life threating and often not diagnosed properly. Early diagnosis and timely treatment is very important. Areas of specific interest include child echocardiography including fetal echocardiography, diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac catheterization (pediatric cardiac holes closure by device, opening of obstructed cardiac valves by balloons etc).