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Updated: Feb 22, 2026
Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Speckle tracking evaluation of right ventricular functions in children with sickle cell disease
Osama Abd Rab Elrasol Tolba1, Mohamed Ramadan El-Shanshory1, Mohamed Abd Elaziz El-Gamasy1
1Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Gharbia, Egypt.
Insights
Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) show impaired right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions. Early detection of systolic dysfunction is possible using speckle tracking imaging in pediatric SCD patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatrics
- Hematology
Background:
- Cardiac dysfunction is a significant risk factor for mortality in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).
- Early identification of cardiac involvement is crucial for managing SCD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in children with SCD.
- To utilize tissue Doppler and speckle tracking imaging for comprehensive assessment.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 30 children with SCD and 30 healthy controls.
- Echocardiographic assessment including 2D, tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking imaging of the right ventricle.
- Key parameters measured: RV systolic (S', PLSS) and diastolic (E', A', E'/A' ratio, IVRT) functions.
Main Results:
- Patients with SCD demonstrated significantly reduced right ventricular systolic function compared to controls.
- Diastolic dysfunction was also significantly prevalent in the pediatric SCD group.
- Speckle tracking imaging identified early signs of systolic dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Children with SCD exhibit impaired right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions.
- Speckle tracking imaging is a valuable tool for early detection of systolic dysfunction in pediatric SCD.
- These findings underscore the importance of cardiac monitoring in children with SCD.
Background:
Cardiac dysfunction is a risk factor for death in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Aim Of The Work:
Aim of the work is to evaluate the right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions by tissue Doppler and speckling tracking imaging in children with SCD.
Subjects And Methods:
Thirty children with SCD and thirty controls were subjected to clinical, laboratory evaluations, and echocardiographic study using GE Vivid 7 (GE Medical System, Horten, Norway with a 3.5-MHz multifrequency transducer) including; Two-dimensional and tissue Doppler echocardiographic study (lateral tricuspid valve annulus peak E' velocity, lateral tricuspid valve annulus peak A' velocity, E'/A' ratio, isovolumetric relaxation time, lateral tricuspid valve annulus S' and septal S' waves and peak longitudinal systolic strain [PLSS] and time to PLSS) were done in six right ventricular segments.
Results:
There was a significant decrease in right ventricular systolic and diastolic function in patients group when compared to controls.
Conclusions:
Children with SCD have impaired right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions when compared to healthy children with early evaluation of the systolic dysfunction by speckle tracking imaging technique.
