ABSTRACT
Purpose To use two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI)to evaluate left ventricular myocardial strain in term and preterm neonates.Materials and Methods A total of 81 neonates who accepted echocardiography in Soochow University Affiliated Children's Hospital from February to August 2018 were retrospectively enrolled,including 42 term neonates and 39 preterm neonates.Longitudinal and circumferential peak strain of each segment of left ventricle were measured by 2D-STI,and the average global longitudinal peak strain(GLPS-avg)and the average global circumferential peak strain(GCPS-avg)of left ventricular were measured too.Left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF-M,LVEF-Simpson),short-axis shortening rate(LVFS-M),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),and tissue Doppler imaging parameters(E',A' and E'/A')of the septal mitral annulus were also measured.The differences in each segment of left ventricle and echocardiography between term neonates and preterm neonate were further compared.Results There were statistically significant differences in GLPS-avg,the global longitudinal peak strain from the apical two-chamber view(GLPS-a2c),GCPS-avg and the global circumferential peak strain in the middle and apical segments(GCPS-M ang GCPS-A)(t=-3.60--2.18,all P<0.05)between term neonates and preterm neonates,while there were no significant differences between the global longitudinal peak strain from the apical four-chamber and three-chamber view(GLPS-a4c and GLPS-a3c),the global circumferential peak strain in the basal segments(GCPS-M)(all P>0.05).There were statistically significant differences in GLPS-a4c,GLPS-a2c,GLPS-a3c in preterm neonates group(F=3.20,P=0.044),and the strain value GLPS-a4c was the highest.There were statistically significant differences in GCPS-B,GCPS-M,GCPS-A in preterm neonates group(F=79.15,P<0.001).There were statistically significant differences in GCPS-B,GCPS-M,GCPS-A in term neonates group(F=97.95,P<0.001),and the strain value increased from the basal segment to the apical segments.There was statistically significant difference in LVEDD between term neonates and preterm neonates(all P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in LVEF-M,LVEF-Simpson,LVFS-M,E',A' and E'/A' between term neonates and preterm neonates(all P>0.05).Conclusion 2D-STI may be a useful method of measuring left ventricular myocardial systolic function and can provide early detection of differences in left ventricular myocardial contraction between term and preterm neonates.