Evaluation of normal fetal left cardiac function by tissue doppler imaging

Abstract

To explore the feasibility of using tissue Doppler imaging technique for the evaluation of fetus's left ventricular diastolic function, and to confirm its reliability by comparing it with traditional methods, this study examined 61 pregnant women in whom satisfactory images were obtained of fetal echocardiography. The peak velocity of blood stream were measured, including E, A and E/A at mitral valve orifice on the four chamber view with pulse wave. And then tissue Doppler imaging mode was employed to measure the velocity of mitral valve annulus including Ea, Aa, Sa and Ea/Aa. Correlation analysis was conducted between the velocity of orifice and that of annulus in terms of gestation age. And then correlation analysis was performed between above data and gestation ages. A positive correlation was found between the velocity of orifice and that of annulus, and the velocity increased with the gestation age. The change was the most significant between the 28th and the 34th week of gestation age. Our study showed that it is feasible to evaluate the fetus's left ventricular diastole function by tissue Doppler imaging. Its stability can avoid the influence of fetal heart rates and preload.

Keywords

tissue Doppler imaging / fetal cardiac function