Assessment of Left Ventricular Function by 2D Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Surgically Repaired VSD

Abstract

Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common form of congenital heart disease in childhood, occurring in 50% of all children with congenital heart disease and in 20% as an isolated lesion. Speckle tracking echocardiography is a sophisticated new echocardiographic technique that - working with the standard 2-dimensional images - provides a comprehensive analysis of global and regional myocardial deformation evaluated in all spatial directions. In addition, STE enables the evaluation of the LV rotational and torsional dynamics, and also aspects of LV function that were exclusively analyzed by MRI before the introduction of this technique. The present work was done to assess the global and regional left ventricular longitudinal systolic strain by 2D Speckle tracking echocardiography in surgically repaired VSD patients. The current study included 2 groups; group I included 30 patients with repaired VSD at least one year after their operations who were followed up at the pediatric cardiology clinic, children hospital, Ain Shams University as patient's group. The patient's group was compared with a control group that consisted of 30 healthy age and sex matched children; group II. All studied patients were subjected to a full medical history, thorough clinical examination, 12 lead surface electrocardiogram, 2D, M-mode, color Doppler echocardiography as well as 2D speckle tracking echocardiography. Regarding 2D speckle tracking echocardiography, no statistically significant decrease in myocardial function was found in patients group compared to control group. From the result of this study we concluded that: • 2D conventional echocardiography is a cardinal tool to assess LV systolic function in patients with surgically repaired isolated VSD. • 2D speckle tracking echocardiography is additive tool to assess segmental wall deformation and affection in patients with surgically repaired isolated VSD.