Initial fetal to initial postnatal echocardiogram in uncomplicated atrioventricular septal defects: Do significant changes occur?

BACKGROUND: Yield of serial echocardiography in fetuses with atrioventricular septal defects (fAVSD) has not been well defined. The goal of this study was to document if any major changes occurred from initial fetal to initial postnatal echocardiogram in uncomplicated fAVSD. METHODS: fAVSD were excluded if initial fetal scan documented complex CHD or any concerns. Changes in ventricular function, valvular regurgitation, or diagnosis between first fetal and first postnatal echocardiogram were recorded. RESULTS: Fifty-seven fAVSD met criteria. Ninety-six fetal echocardiograms were done in 57 patients. Initial fetal scan was performed at 24.3 ± 3.7 weeks of estimated gestational age. All fAVSD had normal function, 38 had no atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR), and 19 had mild AVVR. First postnatal echocardiogram was performed at 6.3 ± 15.3 days. Fifty-six patients had normal function, 1 patient had mild dysfunction, 16 patients had no AVVR, 36 had mild AVVR, and 5 had moderate AVVR. Three patients (5%) had an improvement in AVVR by one degree, 27 patients (47%) had no change in AVVR, 24 patients (42%) had an increase in AVVR by one degree, and 3 patients (5%) had an increase in AVVR by two degrees. There was no major missed anatomical diagnosis from first prenatal to first postnatal echocardiogram. CONCLUSION: In fAVSD that had no concerns on their initial fetal echocardiogram, the majority of patients had no major changes noted between their initial fetal echocardiogram and their first postnatal echocardiogram. Repeat fetal echocardiograms may not necessarily be needed in this cohort of patients.

Diastolic Dyssynchrony Differences in Patients with Single Right Ventricles vs. Control Patients.

AIMS: Diastolic dyssynchrony is increasingly being recognized as another marker for possible adverse cardiac events. Minimal data exist in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) patients. The goal of this study was to determine if there were differences in diastolic dyssynchrony in patients with HLHS vs. control patients. METHODS/RESULTS: Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and strain rate (SR) analysis of the right ventricle in HLHS and control patients were performed. Time interval from onset of QRS complex on electrocardiography to peak TDI e' wave was obtained. Differences in intervals were calculated: QRSe'(RV) - QRSe'(IVS) and QRSe'(RV) - QRSe'LV). Time interval from onset of QRS to peak strain rate early diastolic wave (SRe) was obtained for the six-segment model RV. Standard deviation of the six SRe time intervals was calculated. t-tests were performed to determine if differences were present between groups. Sixty patients were studied (35 HLHS, 25 control). There were no significant differences between HLHS and control patients in age (6.5 ± 3.2 years vs. 6.1 ± 2.6 years) or heart rate (91 ± 22 bpm vs. 91 ± 13 bpm), respectively. There were no significant differences between HLHS and control patients in QRSe'(RV) - QRSe'(IVS) (19.9 ± 15.4 ms vs. 23.3 ± 13.6 ms) and QRSe'(RV) - QRSe'(LV) (20.7 ± 13.8 vs. 22.8 ± 14.6 ms), respectively. There was a significant difference in SRe standard deviation between the HLHS and control patients (25.3 ± 12.4 ms vs. 15.5 ± 6.9 ms, P = .0007), respectively. CONCLUSION: Patients with HLHS had increased diastolic dyssynchrony compared with control patients as measured via deformation analysis. Future studies are needed to determine the significance of these findings.

Strain echocardiographic assessment of ventricular function after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) is an emerging therapy for pulmonary valve dysfunction. Minimal data on the midterm effects of PPVI on ventricular function exist. We describe the effects of PPVI on right and left ventricular (RV, LV) function with speckle tracking echocardiography. METHODS: Patients who met the inclusion criteria of the Food and Drug Administration Phase 1 Feasibility Clinical Trial PPVI were identified. Patients were studied with echocardiograms at baseline, post-PPVI (day of discharge), 3 months, and at 6 months. Patients were studied by cardiac magnetic resonance at baseline and at 6 months. Longitudinal strain was measured at the basal, mid, and apical portions of the RV, interventricular septum (IVS), and LV. Global RV and LV strain and strain rates were recorded. Paired t-tests were used for analysis. RESULTS: Ten patients were analyzed: nine patients were a variant of tetralogy of Fallot and one patient had complex LV outflow obstruction requiring a Ross and RV-pulmonary atresia conduit. Mean age was 24.4 ± 7.6 years. Indication for PPVI was pulmonary regurgitation in six patients, stenosis in two patients, and stenosis/regurgitation in two patients. After PPVI, both RV systolic pressure and RV to pulmonary artery pressure gradient significantly decreased. Cardiac magnetic resonance RV end-diastolic volume significantly decreased. IVS-mid, IVS-apical, and LV-global strain significantly increased and RV-basal decreased immediately after PPVI. Global RV a' strain rate significantly increased immediately after PPVI. However, RV, IVS, and LV strain/strain rate values between baseline and the 6 month echocardiographic study were either similar or significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: Despite improvement in RV hemodynamics, there was a decrease or no improvement in RV and LV function as measured by strain echocardiographic values at midterm follow-up. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to determine if these results remain consistent.