Echocardiographic screening in pediatric asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 outpatients: is it a useful test or an excess of zeal?

Abstract

Introduction: Data regarding echocardiographic findings during follow-up of asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are scarce in pediatric patients. The aim of the present study is to assess post-COVID-19 sequelae through echocardiography in children who have experienced mild SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective, observational study enrolled a cohort of 133 pediatric outpatients, born between 2005 and 2022, with a history of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, who underwent transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) evaluation at an outpatient pediatric clinic in Northern Italy.

Results: The percentage of the pediatric activity of the clinic which was focused on post-COVID evaluation was not negligible, representing almost 10% of the ∼1500 pediatric patients examined from 1 January 2021 to 31 August 2022. According to ACEP classification, children enrolled in this study had previously experienced in 72.9% (97) asymptomatic COVID-19 and nearly 27% (36) a mild illness. Clinical and instrumental examinations did not show any relevant abnormality in the functional [left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP)] or structural [interventricular septum diameter (IVSd), left ventricular internal diameter (LViD, end-diastolic volume (EDV), left atrium volume (LAV)] parameters examined related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the total of 133 children.

Conclusion: According to our results, children who experienced an asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection should not be systematically investigated with second-level techniques, such as TTE, in the absence of clinical suspicion or other risk conditions such as congenital heart diseases, comorbidities or risk factors.