Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Apr;25(4):393-400.
doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2012.01.003. Epub 2012 Jan 31.

Three-dimensional mechanical dyssynchrony and myocardial deformation of the left ventricle in patients with tricuspid atresia after Fontan procedure

Po-Ki Ho  1 , Clare T M Lai, Sophia J Wong, Yiu-Fai Cheung
Affiliations

Three-dimensional mechanical dyssynchrony and myocardial deformation of the left ventricle in patients with tricuspid atresia after Fontan procedure

Po-Ki Ho et al. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that dyssynchronous contraction of functional single ventricles occurs in Fontan patients and is related to indices of myocardial deformation and global ventricular function.

Methods: Twenty patients with tricuspid atresia (mean age, 23.5 ± 7.1 years) were studied 17.8 ± 3.8 years after undergoing the Fontan procedure. Three-dimensional echocardiographic data were acquired for determination of left ventricular (LV) volumes and systolic dyssynchrony indices. LV myocardial deformation was determined using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Calibrated integrated backscatter intensity was measured as an index of myocardial fibrosis. The results were compared with those in 20 controls.

Results: Compared with controls, patients had significantly greater systolic dyssynchrony indices (6.13 ± 1.32% vs 4.06 ± 0.84%, P < .001). The prevalence of LV mechanical dyssynchrony (systolic dyssynchrony index > 5.74%) in patients was 55% (95% confidence interval, 32%-77%). LV global systolic longitudinal, radial, and circumferential strain (P < .001 for all), longitudinal systolic (P < .001) and early diastolic (P < .001) strain rate, and circumferential systolic (P < .001) and early diastolic (P = .009) strain rate were significantly lower in patients than in controls, while the average calibrated integrated backscatter was higher (P < .001). Patients with LV dyssynchrony (n = 11) had lower global LV longitudinal strain (P = .02), reduced LV ejection fractions (P = .002), and higher average calibrated integrated backscatter (P = .03) compared with those without LV dyssynchrony (n = 9).

Conclusions: A high proportion of patients with tricuspid atresia after the Fontan operation exhibit LV mechanical dyssynchrony, which may in part be related to myocardial fibrosis and has implications for myocardial deformation and global ventricular function.

PubMed Disclaimer

LinkOut - more resources