[Pulmonary venous flow in children with dilated cardiomyopathy using transthoracic echocardiography].

Objective: To evaluate the pulmonary venous flow in children with dilated cardiomyopathy and to establish its correlation with mitral Doppler flow and with the functional class.

Methods: It is a descriptive and transversal study in which we evaluated the pulmonary venous flow and its correlation with mitral Doppler flow and the functional class in 14 children with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Results: Nine patients were female. The mean age was 5.58 years and the mean follow up was 17 months. The functional class was I in 7 patients, II in 4 and III in 3. When diastolic function was evaluated using mitral Doppler flow it was abnormal in 9 of 14 patients, while the pulmonary venous flow was altered in all 14 patients since S/D ratio was abnormal in all. S wave was reduced in 12 patients; D wave was elevated in 8 patients, A reverse wave was elevated in 4 patients and in 8 the A reverse wave length was higher than mitral A wave length.

Conclusions: Systolic function of the left ventricle is reduced in children with dilated cardiomyopathy. Diastolic function is also frequently abnormal in this group of patients. Pulmonary venous flow identifies better the abnormal diastolic function and correlates better with functional class than mitral Doppler flow.