Speckle tracking stress echocardiography in children: interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility and the impact of echocardiographic image quality.

Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is increasingly used during functional assessments. However, reproducibility and dependence on echocardiographic image quality for speckle tracking stress echocardiography in pediatric patients have not been studied to date. 127 consecutive normotensive children without structural heart disease (mean age 13.

Speckle Tracking Stress Echocardiography Uncovers Early Subclinical Cardiac Involvement in Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, whether cardiac consequences present early in IBD is unknown. This is the first study in children aiming to unmask altered myocardial mechanics in IBD.