Key result
Myocardial fatty change occurs in ~7% of pediatric deaths, linked primarily to infections and congenital disorders.
Why the study?
The presence and characteristics of fatty change in the pediatric myocardium across a wide age range and causes of death were not well characterized.
Observational (n=980)
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Myocardial fatty change is rare in pediatric deaths without unifying cause; leaves open its relevance as a systemic stress marker.
The myocardium was studied for the presence of fat in 980 pediatric deaths over a wide age range during a 10-year period. Of these, only 67 cases (7%) were found to have fatty change. The cause of death varied widely and no common pathogenetic factor was identified. Infections and congenital disorders constituted the most frequent causes of death associated with fatty change. The degree of fatty change was variable. Severe fatty change correlated with severe panacinar fatty change of the liver. The pathogenesis of the lesion is discussed.
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Carter et al. (1992) conducted an observational in Pediatric deaths (n=980). Fatty change of the myocardium vs. No fatty change was evaluated on Presence of fat in the myocardium. Fatty change of the myocardium was identified in 7% of 980 pediatric deaths, primarily associated with infections and congenital disorders, and correlated with severe hepatic fatty change.
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