Troponin-T: improved diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in childhood

Troponin-T (cTnT) as a marker of myocardial damage is well established in adults, but not yet in children. cTnT was measured in 85 children (aged 1 day-204 months, mean 46 months). Twenty-five children were non-surgical patients, with possible myocardial damage suspected on clinical grounds. The other 60 patients had cardiac surgery leading to a defined myocardial damage. In these children, troponin-T (cTnT), creatine kinase activity (CK), creatine kinase-MB activity (CK-MB), and creatine kinase-MB-Mass (CK-MB-Mass) were measured preoperatively and 3-4 times during the first 55 postoperative h. Except in four children with probable preoperative myocardial damage, all troponin-T values were in the normal range (< 0.1 microg/l). All children with intracardiac surgery showed a postoperative increase in troponin-T. Children with extracardiac surgery of the great vessels showed no postoperative increase of troponin-T. For the assessment of myocardial damage, troponin-T was more specific and more sensitive than the other markers tested, troponin-T might significantly improve the diagnostic assessment of myocardial damage in children.