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Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats
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Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats

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Assessment of global left ventricular function in normal children and in children with dilated cardiomyopathy

G Eto1, M Ishii, C Tei

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and the Cardiovascular Research Institute, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.

Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : Official Publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
|December 10, 1999
PubMed

Insights

The Tei index, a measure of global left ventricular function, decreases with age in children, with significantly higher values in those under 3 years old. This provides crucial data for assessing pediatric cardiac conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • The Tei index assesses global left ventricular (LV) function in adults.
  • Normal pediatric values and age-related changes of the Tei index are not well-established.
  • Understanding these parameters is vital for diagnosing pediatric heart conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively determine normal Tei index values in children.
  • To investigate the effect of aging on the Tei index in pediatric populations.
  • To evaluate global cardiac function in children with dilated cardiomyopathy using the Tei index.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 161 healthy children (30 days to 18 years) and 5 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Measurement of Tei index using conventional LV outflow and inflow Doppler velocity profiles.
  • Calculation of Tei index: (isovolumetric contraction time + isovolumetric relaxation time) / ejection time.

Main Results:

  • The Tei index showed a significant correlation with the logarithm of age (r = 0.51, P <.001).
  • The Tei index decreased with age until 3 years, then remained stable.
  • Tei index was significantly higher in children under 3 years (0.40 ± 0.09) compared to those aged 3-18 years (0.33 ± 0.02).
  • Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy exhibited a markedly increased Tei index (0.78 ± 0.28).

Conclusions:

  • Age-related changes in the Tei index likely reflect maturational alterations in LV properties in infants.
  • This study provides essential normative data for the Tei index in children.
  • The Tei index is a valuable tool for assessing global cardiac function in pediatric patients with heart disease.

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