Pulse tissue Doppler analysis of tricuspid annular motion in Iranian children

Background Quantitative assessment of right ventricular (RV) function has been difficult to assess non-invasively secondary to its non-geometric shape and respiratory-variable filling. With recent improvements in ultrasound equipment we are now able to study myocardial velocity changes, which is known as tissue Doppler imaging.Objectives To define normal indices of tricuspid pulse tissue Doppler echocardiography imaging in children and infants.Methods We enrolled 100 healthy children with the age of 1 month-15 year old who were referred for echocardiography and had no cardiac lesion in primary echocardiography evaluations. Pulse tissue Doppler images of the lateral tricuspid annular motion were recorded using 4-chamber apical view. Simultaneous electrocardiography was used to correct annular motion time with electrical events.Results Among our patients 9 were under 1 year, 46 between 10 and 15, 36 between 5 and 10, and 9 between 10 and 15. Infants had decreased peak early diastolic annular velocities and early diastolic annular velocity-to-diastolic annular velocity at atrial contraction ratios compared with the older group. Isovolumic relaxation time difference was not significant between two different groups. In this group of patients, deceleration time and isovolumic contraction time were lower too.Conclusion In this study we found out normal values for systolic and diastolic indices of pulse TDI imaging of tricuspid valve in Iranian healthy children. This can be a basis for RV function studies in different congenital cardiac disease.