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5 year old with enlarged heart
A few weeks ago, my 5 year old daughter was complaining of a stiff neck. I then took her to a chiropractor adjusted her and then the doctor took a few x-rays. These were then sent to a radiologist for reading and he determined she had scoliosis (appears to be a mild form of 16 degrees) and he also noted the right side of her heart was enlarged. We have appts. to see a pediatric cardiologist and an orthopaedist but I would like to know what might be some causes of the enlarged heart. The chiropractor did not think the curvature of her spine was causing the enlargement of her heart. Her shoulder placement is off from the scoliosis and is visible. She has not had any symptoms such as shortness of breath. She is a very active child, but her blood pressure has not been checked so I do not know for sure if her blood pressure is normal. Is there any tests I can suggest that the dr. perform? There is a family history of Cardiac amyloidosis; her maternal grandmother and uncle both had the disease. Thanks!
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
5 year old with enlarged heart
by FaithfulMom2 , Oct 30, 2009 07:21AM
Tags: enlarged heart
A few weeks ago, my 5 year old daughter was complaining of a stiff neck. I then took her to a chiropractor adjusted her and then the doctor took a few x-rays. These were then sent to a radiologist for reading and he determined she had scoliosis (appears to be a mild form of 16 degrees) and he also noted the right side of her heart was enlarged. We have appts. to see a pediatric cardiologist and an orthopaedist but I would like to know what might be some causes of the enlarged heart. The chiropractor did not think the curvature of her spine was causing the enlargement of her heart. Her shoulder placement is off from the scoliosis and is visible. She has not had any symptoms such as shortness of breath. She is a very active child, but her blood pressure has not been checked so I do not know for sure if her blood pressure is normal. Is there any tests I can suggest that the dr. perform? There is a family history of Cardiac amyloidosis; her maternal grandmother and uncle both had the disease. Thanks
Dear FaithfulMom2: It is difficult to know if the reported enlargement of the right side of the heart is real or not. When a person has spinal curvature (scoliosis) is can affect the positioning of the heart within the chest. There is a chance that there are no problems with your dausghter’s heart. On the other hand, there are certain forms of congenital heart disease that are more common in patients with scoliosis: mitral valve prolapse, atrial septal defects (holes between the upper heart chambers) and sometimes in patients with specific connective tissue disorders, like Marfan syndrome, there can be abnormalities of the aorta as well. It sounds like the best thing to do is see the pediatric cardilogist and get an evaluation. This would usually include a physical exam, electrocardiogram, review of the x-ray and possibly a cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) at the discretion of the doctor.
by FaithfulMom2 , Oct 30, 2009 07:21AM
Tags: enlarged heart
A few weeks ago, my 5 year old daughter was complaining of a stiff neck. I then took her to a chiropractor adjusted her and then the doctor took a few x-rays. These were then sent to a radiologist for reading and he determined she had scoliosis (appears to be a mild form of 16 degrees) and he also noted the right side of her heart was enlarged. We have appts. to see a pediatric cardiologist and an orthopaedist but I would like to know what might be some causes of the enlarged heart. The chiropractor did not think the curvature of her spine was causing the enlargement of her heart. Her shoulder placement is off from the scoliosis and is visible. She has not had any symptoms such as shortness of breath. She is a very active child, but her blood pressure has not been checked so I do not know for sure if her blood pressure is normal. Is there any tests I can suggest that the dr. perform? There is a family history of Cardiac amyloidosis; her maternal grandmother and uncle both had the disease. Thanks
Dear FaithfulMom2: It is difficult to know if the reported enlargement of the right side of the heart is real or not. When a person has spinal curvature (scoliosis) is can affect the positioning of the heart within the chest. There is a chance that there are no problems with your dausghter’s heart. On the other hand, there are certain forms of congenital heart disease that are more common in patients with scoliosis: mitral valve prolapse, atrial septal defects (holes between the upper heart chambers) and sometimes in patients with specific connective tissue disorders, like Marfan syndrome, there can be abnormalities of the aorta as well. It sounds like the best thing to do is see the pediatric cardilogist and get an evaluation. This would usually include a physical exam, electrocardiogram, review of the x-ray and possibly a cardiac ultrasound (echocardiogram) at the discretion of the doctor.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Great news! Good luck with her scoliosis.
Thank you so much for your response. We went to the dr. today, he did an ultrasound and everything's fine. She has a slight heart murmur but nothing to be alarmed about and should go away on it's own. Looks like it was just a heart shadow from the x-ray.
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