Gangrene of the Left Forearm Following Septicaemia in a Nigerian Child With Tetralogy of Fallot: A Case Report.
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) carries a higher risk for infective endocarditis (IE) due to associate multiple cardiac lesions. The incidence of IE in operated TOF patients either by corrective or
palliative surgery is high (around 18%), however small (around 4%) in non-corrected TOF.
Most reported cases of infective endocarditis complicating TOF have been in adults, reports
of central embolization complicating infective endocarditis is also rare in African literatures,
especially in children with TOF. We therefore report a case of gangrene of the left forearm
from central embolization in a 14-month child with TOF who had septicaemia with infective
endocarditis and acute renal failure.
The incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) in congenital heart disease (CHD) is increasing especially in adults. This may be due to advancement in cardiac surgery and catheter intervention
that led to increase in the number of patients with complex congenital heart diseases surviving
to adulthood. Infective endocarditis risk in CHD varies from 1% to 9%.2,3 Tetralogy of fallot (TOF) carries a higher risk for IE due to associate multiple cardiac lesions. The incidence of IE in operated TOF patients either by corrective or palliative surgery is high (around 18%), however small (around 4%) in non-corrected TOF.3,5 Most reported cases of infective endocarditis complicating TOF have been in older children and adults6,7 reports of central embolization is also rare in African literatures, especially in children with TOF. We therefore report a case of gangrene of the left forearm from central embolization in a 14-month child with TOF who had septicaemia with infective endocarditis and acute renal failure.
Heart Res Open J. 2016; 4(1): 6-9. doi: 10.17140/HROJ-4-133
