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Biomedical subjects

A U Antia

Publications and source records attributed to A U Antia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1984

Serum immunoglobulins in children with cardiomyopathies.

Serum immunoglobulins G, A, M and E were determined in four groups of children, including 14 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), 17 with endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF), 18 with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and 35 age-matched controls, in an attempt to assess the role of infections in the aetiology of childhood cardiomyopathies. Mean IgA and IgM concentrations in all four groups were not significantly different. However, mean IgG concentrations were higher in patients with EMF (1729 mg/100 ml), DCM (1745 mg/100 ml) and RHD (1978 mg/100 ml) than in controls (1429 mg/100 ml), and in about 30% of these cardiac patients the levels were higher than the 97th percentile for controls. In addition, mean serum IgE was higher in EMF (3577 iu/ml) than in RHD (2814 iu/ml), DCH (1000 iu/ml) or controls (1666 iu/ml), and in 29% of the EMF patients serum IgE exceeded 6834 iu/ml, the 89th percentile for controls. Intestinal helminths and moderate eosinophilia (mean count, 10%) were detected in most of the EMF patients. These results suggest that some cases of EMF and DCM are, like RHD, complications of infections, and that intense helminth-induced anaphylaxis is a probable cause of cardiac damage in such cases of EMF.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Observations on some aetiological factors in Burkitt's lymphoma.

A prospective study of the socio-economic status and physical growth of seventy-six children aged 3-10 years, with Burkitt's lymphoma (BL), has revealed that most of the patients were from the lowest socio-economic classes. Majority of the fathers were farmers, labourers or petty traders. The BL children were, as a group, significantly lighter in weight and shorter than controls. It is postulated that although the weights were probably adversely affected by the illness itself, the shorter heights which were most likely present before the onset of the illness, indicated chronic undernutrition. This, together with a low level of immunization would predispose the children to frequent infections, including malaria. Frequent infections would thus condition the reticuloendothelial system to be more susceptible to the lymphoproliferative properties of the EB virus, resulting in malignant changes such as Burkitt's lymphoma.

Body Height↗
PubMed1981

Congenital heart disease in Nigeria: a ten-year experience at UCH, Ibadan.

Of 880 patients who attended the paediatric cardiology unit, University College Hospital, Ibadan, during a ten-year period, 635 (72.2%) had congenital cardiac malformations. Ventricular septal defects were the commonest lesions (35% of the 635 cases), followed by patent ductus arteriosus (22%), Fallot's tetralogy (10%), pulmonary stenosis (9%) and atrial septal defects (7.5%). Coarctation of the aorta was uncommon (2%) and aortic stenosis rare (0.6%). The overall sex incidence was even. Aetiological factors were ascertained in 72 cases (11%). In 60% of these cases intra-uterine rubella was responsible and in 18% perinatal asphyxia. In most patients the cardiac malformation was detected late; consequently complications, such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and polycythaemia were common, even in new patients. Sixty-seven patients (11%) died in hospital, mostly from surgical intervention, heart failure, hypoxaemia, bronchopneumonia and associated extracardiac defects. It is suspected that hypocalcaemia, resulting from vitamin D deficiency may be a cause of the observed low prevalence of obstructive aortic lesions. We suggest that cardiac evaluation be performed at birth in postnatal clinics and in immunization centres, in order to facilitate early detection and treatment of congenital heart disease.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1981

Prognostic factors in childhood rheumatic disease.

Forty-eight Nigerian children (M = 22, F = 26; mean age = 6 years) With rheumatic heart disease (RHD) were studied prospectively. Three years after the initial presentation 12 of them (25%) had improved, 14 (29%) remained about the same while 22 (46%) had either deteriorated or died. A poor socio-economic background, delay in seeking medical treatment, and recurrence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) all adversely affected the prognosis. Similarly mitral stenosis, multiple valve lesions, pulmonary hypertension, and subacute bacterial endocarditis (SBE) were associated with a poor prognosis. However the short-term prognosis was uninfluenced by the patient's age, sex, P-R interval, or cardiac functional class at first presentation. It is concluded that prompt institution of appropriate therapeutic measures, SBE prophylaxis, prevention of recurrent ARF, and health education would significantly improve the prognosis in childhood RHD.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Childhood rheumatic heart disease in Nigeria.

Eighty Nigerian children (mean age = 8.8 years) with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) were studied prospectively. The initial acute rheumatic fever (ARF) was recognized in 34 of them (42%) while 18 patients (23%) had recurrent ARF. 76 patients (95%) had mitral incompetence, either alone or in combination with other lesions. Symptomatic mitral stenosis was present in 21 patients (26%), occurred early in life, and appeared to be causally related to recurrent ARF and intense host reactions. Aortic and tricuspid valve diseases were uncommon and pulmonary valve disease was rare. 94% of the patients presented in heart failure, and, 4 years after, 20% of those re-examined had improved, 32% remained about the same, and 48% had deteriorated. The high cumulative mortality at 6 years (20%) was attributable to heart failure and subacute bacterial endocarditis. We suggest that in developing countries, all episodes of pharyngitis in children susceptible to ARF should be treated with penicillin, the only exception being pharyngitis associated with definite viral illnesses like measles.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Infective pericarditis in Nigerian children.

53 children with infective pericarditis were seen at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, between 1967 and 1976. Their ages ranged from 10 days to 15 years but 53% of them were aged 5 years and below. Cough, fever, and breathlessness were the most common symptoms; cardiac decompensation was evident in over 30% of them, 23% had muffled heart sounds, but a pericardial friction rub was audible in only one. The main pathogens identified were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (11 cases), Staphylococcus aureus (11 cases), Escherichia coli (4 cases), Pneumococcus and Pseudomonas (3 cases each). Most of the patients had some other associated infection--such as, bronchopneumonia (12 cases), empyema thoracis (10 cases), lung abscess (10 cases), septicaemis (6 cases), and osteomyelitis (3 cases). Errors in diagnosis were common, the diagnosis having been missed in 72% of the cases identified at necropsy. Even if the correct diagnosis had been made during life and appropriate treatment given, the mortality rate (36%) was high. It is suggested that the onset of cardiac failure in any child with bronchopneumonia, empyema, or lung abscess should always arouse a suspicion of infective pericarditis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Radiological evaluation of the cardiac apex in Jamaican children.

The position of the clinical apex beat projected on chest radiographs was compared to different points on the cardiac outline which have been regarded as the radiological apex. Good correlation was found between the clinical apex and the most lateral point of the left cardiac border, but not with the cardiophrenic angle or the lower end of the long diameter of the heart. The mid-clavicular line cannot be used to define the upper limit of the normal sized heart on radiographs as in clinical practice, because in many of the subjects the heart extended outside the mid-clavicular line.

Child↗
PubMed1978

Position of the apex beat in childhood.

The position of the apex beat in relation to the midclavicular and nipples lines and the intercostal spaces was studied in 353 healthy Jamaican children from birth to 10 years. The traditional use of the midclavicular line as a reference point in relation to the apex beat is not an accurate index of normal heart size at all ages. For this purpose actual measurement of the apex beat, which ranges between 2.8 and and 5.4 cm from the midline, should be made. However, for a rough estimate of normal cardiac size the midclavicular line may be used. In contrast, the nipple line lies outside the apex beat at all ages; it should not be used in the clinical evaluation of normal cardiac size. From birth to age 3 years the apex beat is located in the 4th intercostal space and with increasing age gradually moves into the 5th space in most children.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1976

Congenital generalized fibromatosis. An African case with gingival hypertrophy and other unusual features.

What is believed to be the first reported case of congenital generalized fibromatosis in an African infant is described. Features in our patient, which were not noted in previous reports of the disease, include gingival hypertrophy, ankylosis of joints, skeletal hyperostosis, and lymphatic dilation of the ileal villi. Corticosteroid therapy was tried in the patient, but did not produce any beneficial effect.

Ankylosis↗