Microcardia In The African

We have been aware for some considerable time of the existence of what 'has been called “the small or tiny” heart in our Rhodesian African adult patients admitted to Harare Hospital. It is our purpose merely to draw attention to its existence and so perhaps encourage those in other parts of Africa or other parts of the world to describe their experiences. We usually found the condition in those who appeared to be underweight rather than suffering from a specific nutritional disorder like scurvy or pellagra. Indeed in these disorders of malnutrition, the heart is either normal in size or may be enlarged. However, it was found in a large.series of children in South Africa with Kwashiorkor, that the cardiothoracic diameter was significantly decreased, (Smythe, Swanepoel, Campbell 1962) to increase again on recovery.

A CAJM article on microcardia in African patients.