ALCAPA syndrome: A rare etiology of cardiac arrest in a teenager

Cristina Ferreras; Sílvia Mota; João Antunes Sarmento; Sofia Granja; Marta Grilo; Augusto Ribeiro

doi:10.1016/j.ijpam.2021.04.001

ALCAPA syndrome: A rare etiology of cardiac arrest in a teenager

Int J Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2021 Dec;8(4):271-272. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpam.2021.04.001. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Authors

Cristina Ferreras¹, Sílvia Mota², João Antunes Sarmento³, Sofia Granja³, Marta Grilo⁴, Augusto Ribeiro⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal.
² Department of Pediatrics, Hospital de Braga, Braga, Portugal.
³ Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, Porto, Portugal.
⁴ Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Centro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

ALCAPA syndrome is a rare congenital heart disease and a cause of myocardial ischemia in pediatric population. The authors present the case of a 10-year-old girl admitted to the emergency room after experiencing cardiac arrest at school. In the echocardiogram, the inability to identify the origin of the left coronary artery raised the hypothesis of abnormal origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA). A CT-scan and a cardiac catheterization were performed confirming the diagnosis. Infants with the syndrome may have myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure^. She successfully underwent cardiac surgery. Most undiagnosed patients die within the first year of life, and it is necessary to develop an extensive network of collaterals to ensure survival. ALCAPA syndrome rarely manifests in late childhood, teenagers, and adults and may be an important cause of sudden cardiac arrest.

Keywords: ALCAPA syndrome; Arrest cardiac; Teenager.