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Cardiac troponin is commonly used to screen for cardiac diagnoses in pediatric patients, as it is only released by myocardial tissue. There is limited data regarding high-sensitivity troponin T in pediatric populations and its clinical interpretation. We sought to determine how high-sensitivity troponin values are associated with myocarditis diagnosis. High sensitivity troponin levels were reviewed for pediatric patients at our center from February 2022 to February 2023. Basic demographic and presenting data (including age, gender, body mass index), and diagnoses (cardiac diagnosis, including myocarditis, vs non-cardiac) were compared for patients with elevated initial troponin levels (≥ 12 ng/L) vs. those with non-elevated values. Of the 308 patients included, 91 (29.5%) had elevated hs-cTnT and 45 (14.6%) had a cardiac diagnosis, of whom 8 (2.5%) were ultimately diagnosed with acute myocarditis. There was no meaningful difference in demographic characteristics between the elevated and non-elevated hs-cTnT groups. For patients with diagnosis of myocarditis (n = 8), median peak levels were 506.5 ng/L (182.0 to 1184.0) versus 6.0 ng/L (< 6.0 to 13.5) for those with all other diagnoses (n = 300) (p < 0.001). A high sensitivity troponin cut-off value of 90 ng/dL was established for diagnosis of myocarditis, providing high sensitivity (100%) and specificity of (95%)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory virus with the potential to cause severe complications, hospitalization, and death, was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000; however, with ongoing global transmission, infections in the United States still occur. On March 7, 2024, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) confirmed a case of measles in a male aged 1 year residing in a temporary shelter for migrants in Chicago. Given the congregate nature of the setting, high transmissibility of measles, and low measles vaccination coverage among shelter residents, measles virus had the potential to spread rapidly among approximately 2,100 presumed exposed shelter residents. CDPH immediately instituted outbreak investigation and response activities in collaboration with state and local health departments, health care facilities, city agencies, and shelters. On March 8, CDPH implemented active case-finding and coordinated a mass vaccination campaign at the affected shelter (shelter A), including vaccinating 882 residents and verifying previous vaccination for 784 residents over 3 days. These activities resulted in 93% measles vaccination coverage (defined as receipt of ≥1 recorded measles vaccine dose) by March 11. By May 13, a total of 57 confirmed measles cases associated with residing in or having contact with persons from shelter A had been reported. Most cases (41; 72%) were among persons who did not have documentation of measles vaccination and were considered unvaccinated. In addition, 16 cases of measles occurred among persons who had received ≥1 measles vaccine dose ≥21 days before first known exposure. This outbreak underscores the need to ensure high vaccination coverage among communities residing in congregate settings., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Purpose: Treatment for HER2-low [defined as ImmunoHistoChemistry (IHC) 1 + or 2 + and negative/normal in Situ Hybridization (ISH)] breast cancer patients is rapidly evolving, yet we lack critical information about the HER2-low population., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women aged 18 years or older diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2016 in North Carolina. Analyses were conducted for the overall cohort and a stage IV sub-cohort. We examined demographic and clinical characteristics, and characterized prevalence of HER2-low disease and healthcare utilization. We estimated adjusted rate ratios for the association between HER2 classifications and utilization outcomes, and hazard ratios for 3-year all cause mortality (stage IV only)., Results: The overall and stage IV cohorts included 12,965 and 635 patients, respectively. HER2-low patients represented more than half of both cohorts (59% overall, 53% stage IV). HER2-low patients were more likely than IHC 0 patients to have hormone receptor (HR)-positive disease. In the stage IV cohort, HER2-low patients were more likely to be Black (26% vs. 16% IHC 0, p = 0.0159). In both cohorts, rates of hospitalizations were slightly higher among HER2-low patients. There were no survival differences between HER2-low and IHC 0 among stage IV patients., Conclusion: New treatment options for HER2-low breast cancer may have potential for significant impact at the population level particularly for patients with stage IV disease. In light of racial differences between HER2-low and IHC 0 patients observed in our cohort, research- and practice-based efforts to ensure equitable adoption of new treatment guidelines for patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer will be essential., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Competing Interests: Funding Support and Author Disclosures Dr Pareek is on advisory boards for AstraZeneca and Janssen-Cilag; and has received speaker honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Janssen-Cilag. Dr Khera has received support from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health (grant K23HL153775) outside of the submitted work. Dr Miller is a consultant for Eidos, Pfizer, Siemens, Alnylam, and Roivant; and has received grant support from Eidos, Pfizer, and Argospect. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.

Purpose of Review: COVID-19-related guidance has changed dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. Awareness of data regarding prevention of disease, the cardiac manifestations and treatment of acute COVID-19 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and return to physical activity following an infection allows for appropriate adjustment of current care models and guides future study., Recent Findings: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission can be reduced using various mitigation strategies, though their effectiveness differs based on viral prevalence. The risk of severe disease during acute COVID-19 infection is low in children and adolescents, though specific risk factors have been identified. COVID-19 vaccination significantly decreases the risk of severe disease and poor outcomes. Regular physical activity positively affects well being and has been a focus of recent guidance regarding well tolerated return to activities following an infection., Summary: The use of strategies to reduce viral transmission will depend on individuals' and communities' risk tolerance and on current viral prevalence. COVID-19 vaccination should be encouraged, particularly in patients with identified risk factors. Allowing children and adolescents to safely participate in physical and other activities should continue to be a focus of our clinical and research efforts given their myriad benefits in this population., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is one of the most significant sequela of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children. Emerging literature has described myocardial dysfunction in MIS-C patients using traditional and two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in the acute phase. However, data regarding persistence of subclinical myocardial injury after recovery is limited. We aimed to detect these changes with deformation imaging, hypothesizing that left ventricular global longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strain (GCS) would remain impaired in the chronic phase despite normalization of ventricular function parameters assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography. A retrospective, single-institution review of 22 patients with MIS-C was performed. Fractional shortening, GLS, and GCS, along with regional longitudinal (RLS) and circumferential strain (RCS) were compared across the acute, subacute, and chronic timepoints (presentation, 14-42, and > 42 days, respectively). Mean GLS improved from - 18.4% in the acute phase to - 20.1% in the chronic phase (p = 0.4). Mean GCS improved from - 19.4% in the acute phase to - 23.5% in the chronic phase (p = 0.03). RCS and RLS were impaired in the acute phase and showed a trend towards recovery by the chronic phase, with the exception of the basal anterolateral segment. In our longitudinal study of MIS-C patients, GLS and GCS were lower in the acute phase, corroborating with left ventricular dysfunction by traditional measures. Additionally, as function globally recovers, GLS and GCS also normalize. However, some regional segments continue to have decreased strain values which may be an important subclinical marker for future adverse events., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) estimation of the pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) is routinely used in clinical practice and is included in the American Society of Echocardiography Guidelines. We sought to assess its real-world applicability with a particular focus on hemodynamically significant shunt lesions., Methods: Retrospective single institutional review of TTE's in patients with secundum atrial septal defect prior to cardiac catheterization (cath) from 2012 to 2018 was performed ( n = 109), those with technically limited images for Qp/Qs calculation ( n = 11) and those with time interval between TTE and cath >60 days were excluded ( n = 14). Qp/Qs was calculated from stored clips by previously described methods and correlated with those obtained by oximetry. Patients were subdivided into two age groups <21 (Group 1) and ≥22 years (Group 2). TTE and cath methods for Qp/Qs estimation were compared using paired t -test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Bland-Altman plots., Results: Eighty-four subjects met inclusion criteria (age range 3-78 years). Group 1 n = 35; median age 10 years; Group 2 n = 49; median age 49 years. Transthoracic echocardiogram was performed 19.5 ± 15 days prior to cath. Mean Qp/Qs derived by cath and TTE were 2.09 ± 0.9 versus 2.54 ± 1.2 ( P < 0.0001). Overall correlation was poor between the methods ( r 2 = 0.32, P < 0.0001) and continued to be poor for Groups 1 and 2 ( r 2 = 0.24, P = 0.003 and r 2 = 0.40, P < 0.0001 respectively). Bland-Altman plots demonstrated poor agreement between the predetermined limits of agreement (-0.5-1.5)., Conclusion: Transthoracic echocardiography estimated Qp/Qs, although routinely utilized in clinical practice, has poor correlation and agreement with oximetry-derived Qp/Qs. The test performs poorly in all age groups in detecting a hemodynamically significant shunt and tends to overestimate the degree of left to right shunt., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2022 Annals of Pediatric Cardiology.)

Myocarditis has a wide array of clinical presentations ranging from asymptomatic to sudden cardiac death. Pediatric myocarditis is a rare disease, with an estimated annual incidence of 1 to 2 per 100,000 children though its true prevalence remains unknown due to its variable and often subclinical presentation. The diagnosis of myocarditis is challenging in the era of COVID-19 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), which can have overlapping clinical conundrum. Here, we present a case of a 17-year-old male presenting with chest tightness, shortness of breath, and electrocardiogram (EKG) findings concerning for myocardial injury along with elevated inflammatory markers such as D-dimer, ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate), and CRP (C-Reactive Protein). We discuss the key elements of our clinical experience with this case and review the literature for pediatric myocarditis, with a focus on differentiating it from MIS-C in the current COVID-19 pandemic era., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Hemali P. Shah et al.)

Trials of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination included limited numbers of children, so they may not have detected rare but important adverse events in this population. We report 7 cases of acute myocarditis or myopericarditis in healthy male adolescents who presented with chest pain all within 4 days after the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination. Five patients had fever around the time of presentation. Acute COVID-19 was ruled out in all 7 cases on the basis of negative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction test results of specimens obtained by using nasopharyngeal swabs. None of the patients met criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Six of the 7 patients had negative severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nucleocapsid antibody assay results, suggesting no previous infection. All patients had an elevated troponin. Cardiac MRI revealed late gadolinium enhancement characteristic of myocarditis. All 7 patients resolved their symptoms rapidly. Three patients were treated with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs only, and 4 received intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroids. In this report, we provide a summary of each adolescent's clinical course and evaluation. No causal relationship between vaccine administration and myocarditis has been established. Continued monitoring and reporting to the US Food and Drug Administration Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is strongly recommended., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)