Thromboembolic events in left ventricular non-compaction: comparison between children and adults – a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is morphologically characterised by excessive trabeculations and deep recesses in the ventricular wall. The risk of thromboembolic disease in the paediatric patients with LVNC has not been clearly established. We conducted this systematic review to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of thromboembolism (TE) in paediatric and adult patients with LVNC and searched for risk factors for TE to explore management strategies. METHODS: The primary outcome was the prevalence and incidence of TE in the patients with LVNC. The secondary outcome was the TE and mortality and heart transplantation rates between paediatric and adult patients with LVNC. We searched for studies published in MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials between January 1950 and December 2020. A systematic search of keywords related to LVNC, anticoagulants/antiplatelets and TE was conducted. Studies that did not present original research, non-human studies, duplicated studies were excluded. RESULTS: Fifty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 726 paediatric and 3862 adult patients were included. The mean prevalence rates of TE in the paediatric and adult patients with LVNC were 2.6% and 6.2% (I(2)=0%; p<0.450 and I(2)=73.7%; p<0.001), respectively. The mean annual incidences of TE in paediatric and adult patients with LVNC were 1.4% and 2.9% (I(2)=99.4%; p<0.001 and I(2)=99.5%; p<0.001), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TE was associated with left ventricular ejection fraction in <40% of paediatric patients (OR, 9.47; 95% CI, 1.35 to 188.23; p=0.0225). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and incidence rates in paediatric patients were lower than those in adult patients. TE was associated with a reduced systolic function in paediatric patients with LVNC.