Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Improves Pre-operative Risk Stratification Before the Total Cavopulmonary Connection

Standardization in paediatric echocardiographic reporting and critical interpretation of measurements, functional parameters, and prediction scores: a clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging of the European Society of Cardiology and the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology

This document has been developed to provide a guide for basic and advanced reporting in paediatric echocardiography. Furthermore, it aims to help clinicians in the interpretation of echocardiographic measurements and functional data for estimating the severity of disease in different paediatric age groups. The following topics will be reviewed and discussed in the present document: (i) the general principle in constructing a paediatric echocardiographic report, (ii) the basic elements to be included, and (iii) the potential and limitation of currently employed tools used for disease severity quantification during paediatric reporting. A guide for the interpretation of Z-scores will be provided. Use and interpretation of parameters employed for quantification of ventricular systolic function will be discussed. Difficulties in the adoption of adult parameters for the study of diastolic function and valve defects at different ages and pressure and loading conditions will be outlined, with pitfalls for the assessment listed. A guide for careful use of prediction scores for complex congenital heart disease will be provided. Examples of basic and advanced (disease-specific) formats for reporting in paediatric echocardiography will be provided. This document should serve as a comprehensive guide to (i) structure a comprehensive paediatric echocardiographic report; (ii) identify the basic morphological details, measures, and functional parameters to be included during echocardiographic reporting; and (iii) correctly interpret measurements and functional data for estimating disease severity.

Position Statement on the Use of Myocardial Strain in Cardiology Routines by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology's Department Of Cardiovascular Imaging - 2023

Central Illustration : Position Statement on the Use of Myocardial Strain in Cardiology Routines by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology's Department Of Cardiovascular Imaging - 2023 Proposal for including strain in the integrated diastolic function assessment algorithm, adapted from Nagueh et al.67 Am: mitral A-wave duration; Ap: reverse pulmonary A-wave duration; DD: diastolic dysfunction; LA: left atrium; LASr: LA strain reserve; LVGLS: left ventricular global longitudinal strain; TI: tricuspid insufficiency. Confirm concentric remodeling with LVGLS. In LVEF, mitral E wave deceleration time < 160 ms and pulmonary S-wave < D-wave are also parameters of increased filling pressure. This algorithm does not apply to patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), mitral annulus calcification, > mild mitral valve disease, left bundle branch block, paced rhythm, prosthetic valves, or severe primary pulmonary hypertension.

The Role of Myocardial Strain Imaging in the Pre- and Post-Operative Assessment of Patients with Single Ventricle

The term "single ventricle" refers to a wide range of cardiac structural and functional abnormalities which cause the morphologically right or left ventricle to be hypoplastic or functionally inadequate. Patients with single-ventricle physiology have followed a series of palliative surgeries, resulting in the dominant ventricle supporting only the systemic circulation and the systemic venous return draining directly to the pulmonary arteries. Such patients present a progressive decline in myocardial performance, and their management is associated with high morbidity, mortality and resource usage. At each management step, imaging is critical in eligibility assessment, pre-procedural planning and prompt detection of myocardial dysfunction. However, the complex and asymmetric geometry of the dominant ventricle and its segmental wall motion abnormalities make the echocardiographic evaluation of myocardial performance in these patients rather challenging. Consequently, conventional 2-dimensional echo functional parameters, such as ejection fraction by Simpson's biplane method or shortening fraction by M-mode, is complex and often not feasible to apply. On the other hand, speckle-tracking echocardiography is angle and geometry independent and has better reproducibility. As such, it constitutes an appealing method for assessing myocardial function in patients with single-ventricle hearts. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the role of myocardial strain imaging by speckle-tracking echocardiography in the pre-and post-operative assessment of patients with single-ventricle hearts.

Role of Cardiovascular Imaging in the Follow-Up of Patients with Fontan Circulation

Since its first description in 1971, the Fontan procedure and its modifications have led to a substantial improvement in the survival rates of patients with a variety of types of complex Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) characterised by the presence of a single, dominant ventricle. However, despite the significant improvement of the prognosis over the years, Fontan patients are still exposed to several cardiovascular and systemic complications. It is, therefore, important to fully understand the pitfalls hidden behind a Fontan anatomy and the potential predictors of ventricular failure. Cardiovascular imaging plays a key role in this context, allowing for the early identification of complications with important prognostic implications. Echocardiography remains the first-line imaging modality for serial evaluation of Fontan patients. However, there is a growing role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography from pre-operative assessment to longitudinal follow-up. The aim of this paper will be to provide a comprehensive overview of the role, strengths, and weaknesses of each imaging modality in the assessment of congenital cardiac conditions palliated with the Fontan procedure.

Inter-observer and Inter-vendor Variability in Strain Measurements in Patients with Single Right Ventricular Anatomy

Myocardial strain offers new insights into ventricular performance, There are software packages from several different companies used to ascertain this, and little data is available in patients with single right ventricle (sRV) physiology. We aimed to compare the analysis of two strain software applications using a cohort of patients with sRV for both inter-vendor and inter-observer variability. Echocardiograms from 85 patients with sRV (122 separate studies) were prospectively evaluated. All had Glenn and/or Fontan palliation. Longitudinal 4-chamber (4LS), inflow/outflow (IO), circumferential, and radial strain were assessed using Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI, Seimens, Munich) and Automated Functional Imaging (AFI, General Electric, Boston) software. In a subset of 45 patients (61 separate studies), strain measurements were obtained by two sonographers so a paired "inter-observer" analysis could be performed. A moderate correlation between measurements made by the two systems was observed. Circumferential strain assessment had the highest R value (0.77) with all others having R values < 0.6. Both software packages showed modest inter-observer reproducibility for longitudinal and circumferential strain. VVI intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for 4LS and average circumferential strain (ACS) were 0.6 and 0.58, compared to 0.68 and 0.59 for AFI. Other than radial strain and VVI IO inferior strain, mean strain differences between AFI and VVI were ≤ 1%. Inter-observer variability is modest, however, mean differences are minimal suggesting reasonable clinical reliability. Inter-vendor variability is greater and not as clinically reliable. In patients with sRV, serial assessments with strain should be performed using the same software.

Single systemic right ventricle longitudinal strain: Intravendor reproducibility and intervendor agreement in children

PURPOSE

Strain derived from speckle-tracking echocardiography is emerging as a useful tool in the assessment of single ventricle function. The purpose of this study is to compare layer-specific longitudinal strain values in children with single, systemic right ventricles (sRV) using two commercially available software platforms (GE EchoPAC (EP) and TomTec (TT)).

METHODS

Two readers analyzed two-dimensional longitudinal strain on EP (v 202) and TT (v 2.21.25) in 40 pediatric sRV patients. Intravendor reproducibility and intervendor agreement between layer-specific measurements were assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analysis. Absolute difference (AbΔ) and relative mean errors (RME) were calculated. Subgroup comparisons (stratified by age, heart rate (HR), and frames per second (FPS): HR ratio) were made.

RESULTS

Median age was 4.4 years. 32 (80%) patients had hypoplastic left heart syndrome; 19 (48%) were post-Fontan. Intravendor reproducibility was excellent with high ICC (0.86-0.97). AbΔ between readers was small (1.2%-1.5%) with interobserver RME slightly higher for TT (11%-12% vs 8%-9% for EP). Layer-specific intervendor agreement was poor (ICC 0.45-0.62). Default layer comparisons (EP mid vs TT endo) showed good agreement (ICC 0.72-0.77) and less variability (AbΔ 2%, RME 15%) than layer-to-layer. There were no differences in ICC for groups dichotomized by age, HR, or FPS:HR ratio. sRV strain values are more negative when using EP.

CONCLUSION

Intravendor reproducibility for sRV peak longitudinal strain in children is excellent with acceptable variability between experienced users. Intervendor, layer-specific strain agreement is poor. Vendor default layer strain values show better agreement but are not interchangeable.

Evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with different types of ischemic heart disease by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular systolic function in patients with different types of ischemic heart disease using two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI).

METHODS

We retrospectively studied patients who were admitted to Peking University Third Hospital from January 2011 to December 2017 due to chest tightness and chest pain. Two hundred forty-two patients were divided into control group, CMD group and obstructive CAD group. The main coronary artery stenosis was confirmed by coronary angiography or coronary computed tomography and coronary flow reserve (CFR) in patients was measured by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Left ventricular strain and strain rate (SR) measured by 2D-STI. Cardiac structure and function were measured by conventional echocardiography.

RESULTS

Conventional echocardiography showed that there was no significant difference in cardiac structure and function among the three groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, the longitudinal strain (LS) of each ventricular wall in CMD group was notably lower than that in control group (P < 0.01). In addition, global longitudinal SR and longitudinal SR in CMD group and obstructive CAD group were obviously lower than those in control group (P < 0.01). GLS, endocardial LS and epicardial LS were negatively correlated with CFR (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Early left ventricular systolic dysfunction was found in patients with CMD and patients with obstructive CAD, with similar degree. CFR is an independent influencing factor of GLS. GLS and stratified LS have certain diagnostic value for CMD.

Emerging clinical applications of strain imaging and three-dimensional echocardiography for the assessment of ventricular function in adult congenital heart disease

Management of congenital heart disease (CHD) in adults (ACHD) remains an ongoing challenge due to the presence of residual hemodynamic lesions and development of ventricular dysfunction in a large number of patients. Echocardiographic imaging plays a central role in clinical decision-making and selection of patients who will benefit most from catheter interventions or cardiac surgery.. Recent advances in both strain imaging and three-dimensional (3D)-echocardiography have significantly contributed to a greater understanding of the complex pathophysiological mechanisms involved in CHD. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of emerging clinical applications of speckle-tracking imaging and 3D-echocardiography in ACHD with focus on functional assessment, ventriculo-ventricular interdependency, mechanisms of electromechanical delay, and twist abnormalities in adults with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a systemic RV after atrial switch repair or in double discordance ventricles, and in those with a Fontan circulation.

Serial Strain Analysis Identifies Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Infants at Risk for Cardiac Morbidity and Mortality: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Validated, objective measures of right ventricular (RV) function assessment in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) are needed. In other populations, speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived strain is a sensitive measure that outperforms conventional parameters of RV function. We hypothesized that speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived measures of RV function would be worse in patients with HLHS who have a poor cardiac outcome.

METHODS

Prospective serial echocardiography was performed in 35 infants with HLHS during the first 6 months of life. Patients not undergoing staged palliation or with other variants of single RV were excluded. Traditional RV measurements and strain analysis were performed from standard apical and basal views. The primary outcome of cardiac death, heart transplantation, or persistent ≥ moderate RV dysfunction was examined using Cox regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to derive cutoff values.

RESULTS

At median follow-up of 10.9 months (interquartile range 5.6, 15.2), eight patients reached the outcome and demonstrated worse RV strain measures compared with those without the outcome. A post-Norwood global longitudinal strain (GLS) of > -16% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.76; P = .04) and pre-Glenn GLS > -13% (AUC, 0.98; P ≤ .01) were highly sensitive and specific for poor outcome. Other thresholds included post-Norwood GLS rate (GLSr) > -1.15 %/s (AUC, 0.78; P = .03), pre-Glenn GLSr = -0.85%/sec (AUC, 0.89; P < .01), post-Glenn circumferential strain rate > -0.85%/sec (AUC, 0.92; P < .01), and GLSr > -0.85%/sec (AUC, 0.84; P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Strain analysis may help identify at-risk HLHS infants. In this pilot study, interstage strain indices were worse in infants with HLHS who had a poor cardiac outcome.

State of the art of the Fontan strategy for treatment of univentricular heart disease

In patients with a functionally univentricular heart, the Fontan strategy achieves separation of the systemic and pulmonary circulation and reduction of ventricular volume overload. Contemporary modifications of surgical techniques have significantly improved survival. However, the resulting Fontan physiology is associated with high morbidity. In this review, we discuss the state of the art of the Fontan strategy by assessing survival and risk factors for mortality. Complications of the Fontan circulation, such as cardiac arrhythmia, thromboembolism, and protein-losing enteropathy, are discussed. Common surgical and catheter-based interventions following Fontan completion are outlined. We describe functional status measurements such as quality of life and developmental outcomes in the contemporary Fontan patient. The current role of drug therapy in the Fontan patient is explored. Furthermore, we assess the current use and outcomes of mechanical circulatory support in the Fontan circulation and novel surgical innovations. Despite large improvements in outcomes for contemporary Fontan patients, a large burden of disease exists in this patient population. Continued efforts to improve outcomes are warranted. Several remaining challenges in the Fontan field are outlined.