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ENDOCARDIAL FIBROELASTOSIS
Author(s) -
BEVERIDGE JOHN
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1957.6.2.155
Subject(s) - endocardial fibroelastosis , medicine , irritability , heart failure , fainting , disease , intensive care medicine , cardiology , respiratory distress , heart disease , pediatrics , surgery , menopause
SUMMARY Attention is directed to endocardial fibroelastosis as a not uncommon cause of fatal heart disease in infancy, and one which is exciting an increasing amount of interest. Details are submitted of six patients who died from acute and chronic forms of the disease. In the acute form the symptomatology is alarming. Upon the vague and non‐specific background of irritability, refusal of food and restlessness, there develops a shock‐like condition in conjunction with neck and limb stiffness, cyanosis and respiratory distress. Death is usual in this form. In the chronic form the clinical picture is one of congestive cardiac failure with secondary pulmonary infection. In this form cardiac murmurs are present and the electrocardiogram is grossly abnormal. The possibility of diagnosis in life and the difficulty of differentiating fibroelastosis from other forms of heart disease causing cardiac failure in infancy are discussed. The suggestion is made that, with improved diagnosis, a greater number of infants will be found to suffer from this condition and yet not die. The outlines of medical treatment and of the current palliative surgical approach are presented.