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Quantitative evaluation of fetal ventricular function by speckle tracking echocardiography
  • +4
  • Ling Luo,
  • Hanmin Liu,
  • Shu Zhou,
  • Fuming Zhao,
  • Qi Zhu,
  • nan guo,
  • Jiao Chen
Ling Luo
Sichuan University West China Second University Hospital

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Hanmin Liu
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Fuming Zhao
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Qi Zhu
West China Second University Hospital,West China Medcical School,Sichuan Univeisity
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Abstract

Methods The study included 59 patients with normal fetal heart structure, blood flow, and heart rhythm (fetal abnormality-negative group) and 50 patients with abnormal fetal heart structure, blood flow, and/or heart rhythm (fetal abnormality-positive group). aCMQ was performed in both groups to obtain left and right ventricular endocardial global longitudinal strain (GLSendo), mid-myocardial global longitudinal strain (GLSmid), and epicardial global longitudinal strain (GLSepi). Parameters between the two groups were compared and correlation analyses performed. A deformation analysis was performed by two trained observers, and reproducibility was assessed. Results The fetal left ventricular and right ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS and RV-GLS, respectively) decreased in a gradient from the endocardium to the epicardium. LV-GLS and RV-GLS of all myocardial layers were lower in the fetal abnormality-positive than -negative group (all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that neither LV-GLS nor RV-GLS was significantly correlated with gestational age in the fetal abnormality-negative group (all P>0.05), whereas left ventricular GLSendo, GLSmid, and GLSepi were negatively correlated with gestational age in the fetal abnormality-positive group (r=−0.39 to −0.44, all P<0.05). Repeatability testing showed that the inter-observer and intra-observer intraclass correlation coefficients for LV-GLS and RV-GLS in each myocardial layer were >0.75 (all P<0.001). Conclusions As a new speckle tracking echocardiography tool, aCMQ has feasibility and repeatability in evaluating myocardial deformation of the fetal ventricle. This technique might provide helpful information on ventricular myocardial deformation in fetal hearts with abnormal structure or rhythm for clinical guidance in pregnancy.
25 Mar 2021Submitted to Echocardiography
16 Apr 2021Submission Checks Completed
16 Apr 2021Assigned to Editor
18 Apr 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 May 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
01 Jun 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Major
27 Jun 20211st Revision Received
29 Jun 2021Submission Checks Completed
29 Jun 2021Assigned to Editor
23 Jul 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
25 Aug 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
13 Sep 2021Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
27 Sep 20212nd Revision Received
28 Sep 2021Submission Checks Completed
28 Sep 2021Assigned to Editor
28 Sep 2021Reviewer(s) Assigned
09 Oct 2021Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Oct 2021Editorial Decision: Accept
Nov 2021Published in Echocardiography volume 38 issue 11 on pages 1924-1931. 10.1111/echo.15240