Investigation of fetal cardiac function and morphology in fetuses with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction using fetal heart quantification / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the application value of fetal heart quantification (fetal HQ) in evaluation of fetal cardiac function and morphology in fetuses with left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO).Methods:Twenty-five fetuses with LVOTO diagnosed by fetal echocardiography in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University Medical College from April to July 2020 were enrolled. The end-diastolic basal apical length(BAL), transverse length (TL), global spherical index (GSI) of fetal four-chamber view, and the left and right ventricular end-diastolic area, long diameter, 24-segment end-diastolic transverse length (ED) and its Z-scores adjusted by gestational age and 24-segment spherical index(SI) were calculated by using fetal HQ. Subsequently the Z-scores of left and right ventricle fractional shortening (FS) in 24 segments were obtained by gestational age.Results:SI of 24-segments of left ventricles in fetuses with LVOTO were significantly different from that of right ventricles (all P<0.05). There was significant difference between left and right ventricular areas ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between left and right ventricular lengths ( P>0.05). There were significant differences between the 24-segment Z-scores of left and right ventricular ED(all P<0.05). The ratios of RVED to LVED of 24 segments were analyzed by box diagram. The results showed that the transverse length of right ventricle was significantly higher than that of left ventricle. The highest value was 1.49(1.26-1.86), and the lowest value was 1.40(1.26-1.86), both significantly higher than the normal value of 1.19. There were no significant differences between the 1-19-segment Z-scores of left and right ventricular FS( P>0.05). There were significant differences between the 20-24-segment Z-scores of left and right ventricular FS( P<0.05). Conclusions:Fetal HQ can be used to quantitatively analyze left ventricular shape, size and function of fetuses with LVOTO, which provides a new method for quantitative analysis of fetal heart function.