[Treatment of rheumatic mitral stenosis in children and adolescents by a balloon catheter].

Between April 1986 and August 1987, eight children, 9 to 18 years old, with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis underwent a percutaneous balloon valvotomy. Immediate results were good. By echocardiographic measurements, mean transmitral gradients went from 23.7 +/- 7.1 mmHg to 5.8 +/- 4.7 mmHg (p less than 0.001), diastolic pressure half-times went from 299.0 +/- 15.6 msec to 123.3 +/- 42.3 msec (p less than 0.001) and mitral valve areas measured by planimetry went from 1.00 +/- 0.15 cm2/1.73 m2 to 2.68 +/- 0.71 cm2/1.73 m2 (p less than 0.001). Hemodynamic measurements showed a decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure from 48.3 +/- 13.2 mmHg to 32.5 +/- 5.7 mmHg (p less than 0.01), a decrease in the mean left atrial pressure from 26.1 +/- 6.3 mmHg to 14.6 +/- 4.7 mmHg (p less than 0.02) and an increase in calculated mitral valve area (Gorlin formula) from 1.07 +/- 0.31 cm2/1.73 m2 to 2.73 +/- 1.17 cm2/1.73 m2 (p less than 0.02). The only complication observed was a grade III mitral insufficiency in a child with marked subvalvular fibrosis. Six patients had a very good result and one kept a moderate mitral stenosis. Percutaneous balloon valvotomy gives probably better results in children than in adults and obtains at least as good results as surgical closed mitral commissurotomy. Presently, this technique is the treatment of choice for rheumatic mitral stenosis in children. Contra-indications are intra-atrial thrombus and shortened, thickened subvalvular apparatus.