Cardiac Causes of Chest Pain in Children Referred to Amir al-Momenin Hospital in Semnan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Hooshmandi, Soodeh; Lavaf, Sahar; Rahimi, sjjad

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Cardiac Causes of Chest Pain in Children Referred to Amir al-Momenin Hospital in Semnan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Soodeh Hooshmandi ^*

, Sahar Lavaf

, Sjjad Rahimi

Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Science, Semnan, Iran , s.Hooshmandi12@gmail.com

Abstract: (259 Views)

Background and Aim: Chest pain in children is usually non-pathological and benign. However, identifying cardiac causes of this complaint is critical due to its direct impact on health and quality of life, as well as the need for timely intervention. This study aimed to determine the frequency and characterize the pattern of cardiac causes of chest pain in children referred to a medical center.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 children aged 4 to 18 years with a primary complaint of chest pain were evaluated over a one-year period (September 2021 to September 2022) at the outpatient clinic of Amir al-Momenin Hospital in Semnan, Iran. Demographic data, body mass index (BMI), family history of cardiac disease, and echocardiography results were collected for all participants.
Results: The mean age of the 100 children was 8.66 ± 3.37 years, and their mean BMI was 18.40 ± 0.60 kg/m². Gender distribution was nearly equal (47% female, 53% male). In 73% of cases, echocardiography showed no abnormal findings. The most common cardiac abnormality identified was mitral valve prolapse (MVP), with a frequency of 13%. Only 12% of patients had a positive family history of cardiac disease. While no statistically significant association was found between echocardiographic findings and gender (P = 0.301), a significant association was observed between abnormal echocardiographic findings and a positive family history of cardiac disease (P = 0.041).
Conclusion: The present study confirms that cardiac causes constitute a small proportion of pediatric chest pain etiology. Thorough clinical evaluation and attention to a positive family history of cardiac disease (as a significant associated factor) can help guide targeted and rational use of advanced diagnostic methods such as echocardiography. This approach can prevent unnecessary procedures while reducing the financial and psychological burden on families and the healthcare system.

Keywords: Chest pain, Pediatrics, Echocardiography, Prevalence, Congenital heart disease

Type of Study: Research | Subject: medicine, paraclinic
Received: 2025/09/25 | Revised: 2025/12/29 | Accepted: 2025/12/9

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