Evaluation of regional left ventricular function with strain rate echocardiography at the percutaneous ventricular septal defect closure at the childhood

Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate changing of regional left ventricle function after percutaneous closure of ventricular septal defect in the children. In this study, echocardiographic analysis of conventional, tissue velocity imaging and strain/strain rate imaging of the left ventricle were evaluated in 29 children with before and after percutaneous ventricular septal defect closure. Study group was consisted 17 girls (58.6%), 12 boys (41.4%) mean age 9.89 ± 5.19 years, mean weight 31.79 ± 17.97 kg, mean ventricular septal defect size 7.08 ± 3.16 mm. Tissue velocity imaging of left ventricular basal septal and lateral wall was not changed significantly (P>0.05). Longitudinal strain pattern of left ventricular basal septal and lateral wall, and mid-septal region was not changed significantly (P>0.05). Left ventricular longitudinal strain of mid-lateral wall was increased significantly (P=0.032). Strain rate imaging study of the left ventricle was not shown any differences between before and after closure (P>0.05). We found that superior systolic strain of mid-lateral wall of the left ventricle indicated the increase of regional systolic function in the left ventricular wall. Changing of longitudinal strain of the left ventricle may represent a response to altered ventricular loading conditions. Strain rate imaging seems to be less dependent on it. Also strain indexes could provide new, noninvasive, clinically informant technique.