A retrospective study of congenital scoliosis and associated cardiac and intraspinal abnormities in a Chinese population

Abstract

Our objective is to assess the incidence of cardiac and intraspinal abnormities in Chinese congenital scoliosis (CS) patients and to study the relationship between the associated abnormities and the different CS types. Five-hundred and thirty-nine consecutive Chinese patients with CS were retrospectively studied, and the records of echocardiography, plain radiograph of the entire spine, magnetic resonance imaging of the entire spine and/or myelogram were reviewed. The results indicated that the incidence of cardiac and intraspinal abnormities in CS patients was 14.1 and 24.5%, respectively. There was no difference in the incidence of associated cardiac and intraspinal abnormities in different CS types (P > 0.05). The most common cardiac abnormities in CS patients was mitral valve prolapse, which was followed by congenital heart diseases, including atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, bicuspid aortic valve and patent ductus ateriosus. The cardiac abnormities were not likely to be concurrent with intraspinal abnormities in CS patients (P = 0.04). The intraspinal abnormities were more common in female and older patients (all P < 0.05). One or more abnormities mentioned above could be found in 36.8% CS patients and were more likely to be found in female patients (P < 0.01). We concluded that CS is not a simple abnormity, due to the high incidence of associated deformities of other organs, comprehensive assessment was strongly recommended before the surgical correction for CS patients.