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Evolution of strain and strain rate values throughout gestation in healthy fetuses

The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging volume 36, pages 59–66 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

Myocardial deformation by speckle tracking echocardiography is a novel method for evaluating cardiac function. To test the hypothesis that right ventricular and left ventricular function have age-specific patterns of development, we tracked the evolution of ventricular strain mechanics by speckle tracking echocardiography in the fetus. We conducted a retrospective cross sectional echocardiography study in 154 healthy fetuses, and characterized cardiac function by measuring right and left ventricles global longitudinal strain and strain rate. Comparison of the data of both ventricles according to gestational age was carried out. The magnitudes of right and left ventricle global longitudinal strain show wide range values and decreased throughout gestation. Strain values are higher in left ventricle compared to the right one throughout pregnancy. Strain rate values were similar over gestation in each ventricle, but the magnitudes declined overtime in the right and left ventricle. The maturational patterns of left and right strain are gestational specific. With accepted physiological maturation patterns in healthy subjects, these myocardial deformation parameters can provide a valid basis that allows comparison between health and disease.

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Funding

This investigation has no external funding source

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Miguel Servet University Hospital, Paseo Isabel La Católica, 1-3, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Marcos Clavero Adell

  2. Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain

    Ariadna Ayerza Casas, Lorenzo Jiménez Montañés, Daniel Palanca Arias & Marta López Ramón

  3. Falculty of Science, Zaragoza University, Zaragoza, Spain

    José-Tomás Alcalá Nalvaiz

  4. Faculty of Medicine, Zaragoza University, Zaragoza, Spain

    Pilar Samper Villagrasa

Authors
  1. Marcos Clavero Adell
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  2. Ariadna Ayerza Casas
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  3. Lorenzo Jiménez Montañés
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  4. Daniel Palanca Arias
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  5. Marta López Ramón
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  6. José-Tomás Alcalá Nalvaiz
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  7. Pilar Samper Villagrasa
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Correspondence to Marcos Clavero Adell.

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Authors declare not having conflict of interest. Authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review their data if requested.

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The working model was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Aragón (CEICA).

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Clavero Adell, M., Ayerza Casas, A., Jiménez Montañés, L. et al. Evolution of strain and strain rate values throughout gestation in healthy fetuses. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 36, 59–66 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-019-01695-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-019-01695-6

Keywords

  • Fetal echocardiography
  • Strain
  • Strain rate
  • Speckle tracking
  • Cardiac function