Intraoperative ST Segment Depression During General Anesthesia in a Child: Early Detection of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring remains crucial during surgery in infants and children. Although generally uncommon in pediatric-aged patients, ECG changes may occasionally be indicative of a variety of myocardial pathologies including anomalous origin of coronary arteries, ventricular hypertrophy, myocarditis, hypothermia, drug effects, electrolyte abnormalities, acid-base disturbances or conduction system disorders such as Wolff-Parkinson-White and Brugada syndrome. Distinguishing between pathologic and non-pathologic conditions impacting the ECG must be considered so that appropriate interventions are provided to prevent perioperative morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a 2-year-old child who exhibited ST segment depression and increased R wave amplitude during general anesthesia. Although the anesthetic care was uneventful and the patient was otherwise asymptomatic, immediate postoperative workup including echocardiogram revealed previously undiagnosed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The occurrence of intraoperative ST-T wave changes in this patient underscores the need for a high index of suspicion for underlying cardiac pathology, even in the absence of overt clinical manifestations. This case highlights the importance of intraoperative ECG monitoring in pediatric patients, explores the causes of ST-T wave changes, reviews similar cases in the literature, and proposes a pathway for perioperative evaluation.