Left ventricular strains correlate with aortic elastic properties in adult patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot (Results from the CSONGRAD Registry and MAGYAR-Path Study).

BACKGROUND

Aortopathy is a common phenomenon in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The current study was designed to detect left ventricular (LV) deformation abnormalities and its relation to aortic stiffness in corrected TOF (cTOF) using the novel three-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking echocardiography (3DSTE). Detailed comparative analysis between patients with early palliation-late correction (pcTOF) and early total reconstruction (etrTOF) was also performed.

METHODS

The present study consisted of 28 cTOF patients (35.0±15.7 years, 11 males) from which 15 and 13 proved to be pcTOF and etrTOF, respectively. Their clinical parameters were compared to those of 39 matched healthy adults (35.5±6.0 years, 16 males).

RESULTS

cTOF patients showed significantly lower global LV longitudinal, circumferential and area strains as compared to controls. In etrTOF patients, global LV 3D strain was higher than in controls. In pcTOF patients, all LV strains proved to be significantly lower as compared to those of etrTOF patients and controls. In all cTOF patients, several moderate correlations could be detected between LV strain parameters and aortic elastic properties.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant LV deformational abnormalities could be demonstrated in cTOF patients. etrTOF patients have beneficial LV strain parameters as compared to those of pcTOF patients. LV strains show correlations with aortic elastic properties.