A narrative review: cardiovascular aspects of Turner syndrome in the pediatric population

Background and Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is strongly associated with both congenital and acquired heart diseases that have been implicated in the early morbidity and mortality in these patients. It is important for providers across various specialties to be aware of the cardiovascular aspects of this syndrome to allow for early recognition and mitigation of potential tragic outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the cardiovascular aspects of diagnosis and management of patients with TS for general practitioners and sub -specialists involved in the care of these patients. Methods: A literature review was performed on PubMed using search terms involving the cardiovascular aspects of pediatric patients with TS. The search was initially for articles published in the English language over the last 20 years, from 2003 to 2023. Additional articles were then found via references within the selected articles that were related to the original search. Key Content and Findings: A total of 246 English -language articles found on an initial search of TS and Cardiovascular. This initial search was progressively narrowed by including further search terms in order to find articles specific to the cardiovascular issues of TS patients. The most relevant articles were then selected at the discretion of the authors. With the addition of further keywords, fewer articles were identified per topic, from which the most relevant were selected at the discretion of the authors. In total 60 articles were selected for inclusion based upon their relevance to the objectives of this narrative review article. Conclusions: Patients with TS have a much higher prevalence of congenital and acquired heart issues than the general population. The most common congenital cardiac issues are left -heart obstructive lesions, and often surgical intervention is necessary early in life. These congenital cardiac issues are often exacerbated by the acquired heart disease that must also be effectively managed. Cardiac screening from birth and then continuous surveillance is required to ensure these patients have longer and healthier lives.