Pediatric Echocardiographic Assessment and Ventricular Function Analysis
Summary
Pediatric echocardiography has evolved into a fundamental, non-invasive tool for the evaluation of structural and functional cardiac abnormalities in neonates, infants and children. Two-dimensional (2D) imaging provides anatomical detail, while M-mode echocardiography enables rapid quantification of linear dimensions and wall motion. Doppler techniques, including pulsed-wave, continuous-wave and colour flow Doppler, permit assessment of transvalvular gradients, shunt volumes and diastolic function. Advanced modalities such as tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) now allow objective quantification of myocardial velocities, deformation (strain) and deformation rate (strain rate), offering early markers of ventricular dysfunction before changes in ejection fraction become apparent. Assessment of left ventricular systolic performance typically relies on ejection fraction, fractional shortening and global longitudinal strain, while right ventricular function is gauged by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), S′ velocity on TDI and right ventricular free-wall strain. Age- and size-specific normal values are essential, as cardiac dimensions and function evolve rapidly during growth. Ongoing efforts to standardise acquisition protocols, establish normative datasets and integrate three-dimensional imaging are expanding the clinical applicability of pediatric ventricular function analysis.
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Pediatric Echocardiographic Assessment and Ventricular Function Analysis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in pediatric echocardiographic assessment and ventricular function analysis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ejection fraction: The percentage of blood ejected from the ventricle during systole relative to end-diastolic volume, reflecting global systolic function.
Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI): A Doppler-based technique that measures myocardial tissue velocities to assess regional and global systolic and diastolic function.
Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE): A post-processing method tracking natural acoustic markers (“speckles”) in the myocardium to calculate strain and strain rate.
Strain: The percentage change in myocardial length during the cardiac cycle, indicating deformation and contractile mechanics.
Strain rate: The rate at which myocardial deformation occurs, offering insight into the speed of contractile and relaxation processes.
Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE): The longitudinal displacement of the tricuspid annulus toward the apex during systole, commonly used to assess right ventricular systolic function.
References
- Echocardiographic Evaluation of Ventricular Function—For the Neonatologist and Pediatric Intensivist. Frontiers in Pediatrics (2018).
- Tissue Doppler velocity imaging and event timings in neonates: a guide to image acquisition, measurement, interpretation, and reference values. Pediatric Research (2018).
- Normal ranges of left ventricular strain in children: a meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Ultrasound (2015).
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