Evaluation of left ventricular functions by speckle‐tracking echocardiography in coarctation patients

• Published in: Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 410 - 416
• Main Authors: Demircan, Tülay, Kizilca, Özgür, Yilmaz, Nuh, Zihni, Cüneyt, Kir, Mustafa, Ünal, Nurettin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-03-2021
• Subjects: aorta coarctation; congenital heart defects; Hypertension; pediatric echocardiography; strain; Hypertension; strain; aorta coarctation; pediatric echocardiography; congenital heart defects
• ISSN: 0742-2822; 1540-8175
• DOI: 10.1111/echo.14993

Background/Aim
Two‐dimensional speckle‐tracking echocardiography (2D‐STE) is a novel method that allows the assessment of regional myocardial function. The aim of our study was to use 2D‐STE to assess left ventricular deformation in patients with coarctation of the aorta (CoA).
Methods
In this prospective study, patients with CoA (n = 42) and healthy controls (n = 39) were recruited. Children with CoA who visited the outpatient clinic between 2013 and 2014 were included. The data were compared with those obtained from the sex‐ and age‐matched controls.
Results
The mean age of the patients was 5.8 ± 4.5 years. Global longitudinal strain based on all three apical views and total global strain values did not appear to be different between the patient and the control groups (P = .59, P = .51, P = .15, P = .38). Hypertension was detected in 14 (33.3%) patients with CoA. There were significant differences between the global longitudinal strain values of the normotensive CoA subgroup and the hypertensive CoA subgroup (P < .05).
Conclusions
In our study, we found that 2D‐STE total strain analysis of patients with CoA was not different from comparative healthy controls. However, we determined that 2D‐STE parameters were lower in the hypertensive CoA subgroup compared to the normotensive CoA subgroup.