Endocardial Fibroelastosis of the Left Ventricle Affects Right Ventricular Performance in Fetuses with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome: A Prospective Study Using M-Mode, PW- and Tissue Doppler Techniques.

Purpose:  Myocardial function (MF) of the systemic right ventricle (RV) influences the postnatal course of neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Our study examines whether the presence of endocardial fibroelastosis of the left ventricle (LV EFE) influences MF of the RV in HLHS fetuses.

Materials And Methods:  A prospective study was conducted including 10 controls (group 1), 10 HLHS fetuses with (group 2) and 10 without LV EFE (group 3) - all matched for gestational age.

Fetal colour tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI): biventricular reference ranges for the time segments of the cardiac cycle in second and third trimesters of gestation.

Purpose: To construct biventricular reference ranges for isovolumic time intervals (isovolumic contraction time, ICT; isovolumic relaxation time, IRT) and ejection time (ET) for colour tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI) between 15 and 37 weeks' in healthy fetuses.

Methods: This was a prospective multicentre cross-sectional study involving 160 singleton pregnancies between 15 and 37 weeks of gestation, using cTDI. ICT, ET, IRT and myocardial performance index (MPI) were analysed offline using a small region of interest (ROI) within the basal part of the right and left ventricular wall immediately distal to the annulus.

Color Tissue Doppler to Analyze Fetal Cardiac Time Intervals: Normal Values and Influence of Sample Gate Size.

Purpose: To assess the time intervals of the cardiac cycle in healthy fetuses in the second and third trimester using color tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI) and to evaluate the influence of different sizes of sample gates on time interval values.

Materials And Methods: Time intervals were measured from the cTDI-derived Doppler waveform using a small and large region of interest (ROI) in healthy fetuses.

Results: 40 fetuses were included.