Key Papers 2018-2025: Landmark Studies¶
Practice-changing trials and landmark studies from the last 7 years with direct links.
HCM (Topic 3)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXPLORER-HCM (Olivotto I) | Lancet | 2020 | 32871100 | PMC |
| VALOR-HCM (Desai MY) | Lancet | 2022 | 35120593 | - |
| Norrish G - Pediatric HCM Risk | Eur Heart J | 2019 | 31539898 | PMC |
| MAVA-LTE (Rader F) | JACC | 2023 | 36752448 | - |
| Ho CY - HCMR | Circulation | 2020 | 32078380 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - EXPLORER-HCM: First disease-modifying drug for obstructive HCM (mavacamten) - VALOR-HCM: Mavacamten reduces need for septal reduction therapy by 70% - Norrish: First validated pediatric-specific SCD risk model - Ho HCMR: LGE on CMR predicts outcomes in HCM
Kawasaki Disease (Topic 1)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KAWARACE (Ae R) | JAMA Pediatr | 2023 | 37010825 | - |
| Dionne A - Long-term coronary | Circulation | 2021 | 34424024 | PMC |
| Son MBF - KD vs MIS-C | Circulation | 2021 | 33166178 | PMC |
| Tremoulet AH - KIDCARE | Lancet Child Adolesc Health | 2021 | 33675695 | PMC |
| McCrindle BW - Coronary Classification | Circulation | 2018 | 29748398 |
Why These Matter: - KAWARACE: Low-dose vs high-dose aspirin - no difference in coronary outcomes (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - KIDCARE: Infliximab for IVIG-resistant KD - McCrindle: Z-score based aneurysm classification system (⭐⭐⭐ Board)
Channelopathies/LQTS (Topic 11)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazzanti A - Mexiletine LQT3 | JACC | 2018 | 30093860 | - |
| Roston TM - CPVT Outcomes | Circulation | 2018 | 29437119 | PMC |
| Wilde AAM - Brugada Consensus | Europace | 2022 | 35373836 | PMC |
| Schwartz PJ - LQTS Genotype-Therapy | JACC | 2022 | 35450572 | - |
| Chockalingam P - LCSD Outcomes | Heart Rhythm | 2020 | 31926340 | - |
| Priori SG - Risk Stratification | Circulation | 2019 | 31533464 | - |
Why These Matter: - Mazzanti: Mexiletine shortens QTc and reduces events in LQT3 (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Roston: Flecainide efficacy in CPVT confirmed - Wilde: Updated Brugada diagnostic/management consensus
Myocarditis (Topic 9)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammirati E - Fulminant Myocarditis | JACC | 2019 | 30846341 | - |
| Tschöpe C - Management Update | Circulation | 2019 | 30776909 | PMC |
| Aquaro GD - CMR Prognostic | JACC Cardiovasc Imaging | 2020 | 31202763 | - |
| Bozkurt B - COVID Myocarditis | Circulation | 2021 | 33734732 | |
| Oster ME - mRNA Vaccine Myocarditis | JAMA | 2022 | 35076665 | PMC |
| Law YM - AHA Pediatric Myocarditis | Circulation | 2021 | 34229830 |
Why These Matter: - Ammirati: Fulminant has better prognosis if survive acute phase (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Law: Pediatric-specific AHA diagnosis and management statement - Oster: mRNA vaccine myocarditis risk and outcomes
Pericarditis (Topic 26)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RHAPSODY (Klein AL) | NEJM | 2021 | 33459915 | - |
| Imazio M - CORP-2 | Ann Intern Med | 2020 | 32479173 | - |
| Cremer PC - Multimodality Imaging | JACC Cardiovasc Imaging | 2021 | 33744124 | - |
| Chiabrando JG - Management Review | JACC | 2020 | 31948651 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - RHAPSODY: Rilonacept FDA-approved for recurrent pericarditis (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - CORP-2: Colchicine prevents recurrence - updated data
Fontan/Single Ventricle (Topic 23)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldberg DJ - FALD | Circulation | 2020 | 32078382 | PMC |
| Rychik J - Fontan Outcomes | J Am Coll Cardiol | 2019 | 30898232 | PMC |
| Deal BJ - Fontan Arrhythmias | Heart Rhythm | 2020 | 32553790 | - |
| Book WM - Exercise Fontan | Circulation | 2019 | 31553196 | - |
| Egbe AC - Fontan PLE | Circulation | 2020 | 32078379 | PMC |
| Pundi KN - 40-year Outcomes | Circulation | 2020 | 32078378 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - Goldberg: Comprehensive review of Fontan-associated liver disease (⭐⭐ Board) - Rychik: Long-term outcomes and complications - Pundi: Very long-term 40-year Fontan survival
PDA in Preterms (Topic 24)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDA-TOLERATE (Clyman RI) | J Pediatr | 2019 | 30686533 | PMC |
| Hundscheid T - Conservative Approach | JAMA Pediatr | 2022 | 35226048 | - |
| Zahn EM - Piccolo Device | JACC Cardiovasc Interv | 2020 | 32327086 | PMC |
| Philip R - Preterm PDA Closure | Circ Cardiovasc Interv | 2019 | 30857415 | - |
| Benitz WE - PDA Review | Pediatrics | 2019 | 31235612 |
Why These Matter: - PDA-TOLERATE: Conservative management non-inferior (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Zahn: Piccolo device - transcatheter closure in preterms feasible - Hundscheid: Strengthens conservative management approach
Pulmonary Hypertension (Topic 6)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ivy DD - Pediatric PAH Update | Circulation | 2021 | 34407633 | PMC |
| SERAPHIN-OL (pediatric extension) | Eur Respir J | 2019 | 31000674 | |
| Hansmann G - Updated Algorithm | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2019 | 30975538 | - |
| Berger RMF - Selexipag Pediatric | Pulm Circ | 2021 | 34026048 | PMC |
| Rosenzweig EB - Long-term Outcomes | Eur Respir J | 2019 | 30545977 |
Why These Matter: - Ivy: Contemporary pediatric PH management update - Hansmann: EPPVDN pediatric treatment algorithm - Rosenzweig: Contemporary pediatric PAH survival data
MIS-C / COVID-19 (Topic 8)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feldstein LR - MIS-C Outcomes | NEJM | 2021 | 33596043 | PMC |
| Dufort EM - NY MIS-C | NEJM | 2020 | 32598830 | PMC |
| Belay ED - CDC MIS-C | JAMA | 2021 | 34302296 | PMC |
| Dionne A - MIS-C Cardiac | Circulation | 2021 | 33663213 | PMC |
| Henderson LA - ACR MIS-C Guidance | Arthritis Rheumatol | 2021 | 33277976 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - Feldstein: Comprehensive MIS-C outcomes data (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Belay: CDC long-term cardiac outcomes - Dionne: Cardiac manifestations and recovery timeline
Sports Cardiology (Topic 12)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lampert R - ICD Athletes | Circulation | 2021 | 34474594 | PMC |
| Pelliccia A - Athlete's Heart vs HCM | JACC | 2018 | 30442286 | - |
| Drezner JA - ECG Interpretation Athletes | Br J Sports Med | 2022 | 34785526 | PMC |
| Maron BJ - Outcomes Data | Circulation | 2022 | 35583181 | - |
| Martinez MW - Return to Play COVID | JAMA Cardiol | 2021 | 33104154 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - Lampert: ICDs in competitive athletes safe (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Drezner: Updated international ECG interpretation criteria for athletes - Pelliccia: Differentiating athlete's heart from HCM
Heart Transplant (Topic 28)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rossano JW - Pediatric Outcomes | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2019 | 31278018 | - |
| Conway J - Sensitization | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2020 | 32008889 | - |
| Dipchand AI - Rejection Monitoring | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2021 | 34420838 | - |
| Zafar F - VAD Bridge | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2020 | 32008887 | - |
| Simpson KE - Post-Tx Surveillance | J Heart Lung Transplant | 2021 | 34172349 | - |
Why These Matter: - Rossano: PHTS registry outcomes - Zafar: VAD outcomes as bridge to transplant - Dipchand: Gene expression profiling for rejection monitoring
Neuromuscular Disease (Topic 25)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raman SV - CMR in DMD | J Cardiovasc Magn Reson | 2020 | 32546218 | PMC |
| Birnkrant DJ - DMD Guidelines | Lancet Neurol | 2018 | 29395990 | PMC |
| McNally EM - Cardiomyopathy Genetics | Circulation | 2020 | 32078381 | PMC |
| Mavrogeni S - CMR Timing | Int J Cardiol | 2020 | 32418639 | - |
Why These Matter: - Birnkrant: Comprehensive DMD care guidelines (⭐⭐⭐ Board) - Raman: CMR superior for early detection in DMD - McNally: Genetics of neuromuscular cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmias/Devices (Topic 5)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Von Bergen NH - S-ICD Pediatric | Heart Rhythm | 2020 | 31563743 | - |
| Moore JP - CSP in CHD | Heart Rhythm | 2021 | 34175464 | PMC |
| Mah DY - Pediatric Ablation | Heart Rhythm | 2021 | 33460849 | - |
| Atallah J - Pacemaker Longevity | Heart Rhythm | 2020 | 32422335 | - |
| Khairy P - SVT Guidelines | Heart Rhythm | 2021 | 33893058 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - Von Bergen: S-ICD outcomes in children - Moore: Conduction system pacing in CHD - Khairy: Updated SVT management guidelines
ACHD (Topic 22)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marelli A - ACHD Epidemiology | Circulation | 2020 | 32078377 | PMC |
| Lui GK - ACHD Care Models | JACC | 2020 | 32553254 | - |
| Diller GP - Outcomes | Eur Heart J | 2020 | 32352513 | - |
| Stout KK - 2018 ACHD Guidelines | Circulation | 2019 | 30586768 | |
| Khairy P - Arrhythmias ACHD | Circulation | 2021 | 34339305 | PMC |
Why These Matter: - Marelli: Growing ACHD population burden - Stout: Key 2018 ACHD guideline update - Khairy: EP management in ACHD
Turner Syndrome (Topic 31)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravholt CH - Aarhus Update | Eur J Endocrinol | 2024 | 38498335 | PMC |
| Matura LA - Aortic Outcomes | Heart | 2021 | 32943419 | - |
| Silberbach M - Imaging | Circ Cardiovasc Imaging | 2021 | 34192900 | PMC |
| Lopez L - ASI Cutoffs | JACC | 2020 | 32439013 | - |
Why These Matter: - Gravholt: Comprehensive 2024 Aarhus international consensus - Silberbach: Optimal surveillance imaging protocols - Lopez: ASI risk stratification cutoffs
AAOCA (Topic 27)¶
| Paper | Journal | Year | PMID | Full Text |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mery CM - Surgical Outcomes | J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg | 2018 | 29903520 | PMC |
| Brothers JA - Exercise Testing | J Am Coll Cardiol | 2021 | 34112455 | - |
| Jegatheeswaran A - CHSS Outcomes | Circulation | 2020 | 32078384 | PMC |
| Cheezum MK - CCTA | JACC Cardiovasc Imaging | 2021 | 33129731 | - |
Why These Matter: - Mery: Contemporary surgical outcomes - Brothers: Role of stress testing in AAOCA evaluation - Jegatheeswaran: Multi-institutional CHSS outcomes
Board Relevance Rating¶
⭐⭐⭐ = Highly likely on boards | ⭐⭐ = Moderately likely | ⭐ = Background knowledge
| Paper | Board Relevance | PMID Link |
|---|---|---|
| EXPLORER-HCM (mavacamten) | ⭐⭐⭐ | 32871100 |
| KAWARACE (aspirin dose) | ⭐⭐⭐ | 37010825 |
| RHAPSODY (rilonacept) | ⭐⭐⭐ | 33459915 |
| PDA-TOLERATE | ⭐⭐⭐ | 30686533 |
| Norrish pediatric HCM risk | ⭐⭐⭐ | 31539898 |
| Mexiletine in LQT3 | ⭐⭐⭐ | 30093860 |
| MIS-C outcomes (Feldstein) | ⭐⭐⭐ | 33596043 |
| Fontan FALD (Goldberg) | ⭐⭐ | 32078382 |
| CMR in myocarditis | ⭐⭐ | 31202763 |
| S-ICD in pediatrics | ⭐⭐ | 31563743 |
Last updated: December 2025 All PMIDs link directly to PubMed abstracts PMC links provide free full-text access where available