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Evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in children with sickle cell anemia: contribution of 2D strain
Sarra Chenik1, Aymen Noamen1, Abyr Bouslimi2
1Cardiology department, Military Hospital of Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
Insights
Speckle tracking echocardiography detected subclinical myocardial damage in children with sickle cell anemia (SCA). Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was impaired in nearly half of SCA patients, indicating early left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Hematology
Background:
- Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) face heightened risks of cardiovascular complications.
- Early detection of myocardial damage is crucial for managing SCA-related cardiac issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of speckle tracking echocardiography in identifying subclinical myocardial damage in pediatric SCA patients.
- To assess global longitudinal strain (GLS) as a marker for early left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in SCA.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study compared 30 children with SCA to 30 healthy controls.
- Conventional echocardiography and 2D speckle tracking for LV GLS were performed.
- LV parameters including ejection fraction, mass, and dimensions were analyzed.
Main Results:
- SCA patients exhibited LV hypertrophy and dilation compared to controls.
- Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was preserved in both groups.
- Impaired LV GLS was observed in 46% of SCA patients, significantly associated with LV mass, LV end-diastolic diameter, and left atrial volume.
Conclusions:
- 2D speckle tracking, specifically LV GLS, effectively reveals subclinical systolic impairment in children with SCA.
- This technique aids in understanding the progression of left ventricular dysfunction in SCA patients.
Background:
Children with sickle cell anemia (SCA) are at an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to assess the role of speckle tracking echocardiography in detecting subclinical myocardial damage in children with SCA.
Methods:
A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted at the echocardiography laboratory of the military hospital of Tunis between July and December 2018. Thirty patients with SCA were included. A control(C) group including 30 normally developing children was selected and matched to the SCA group by sex and age. We compared between the two groups: conventional echocardiographic parameters including cardiac output, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), thickness and the global longitudinal strain (GLS). The echocardiographic measurements were indexed according to body surface area. The left ventricular (LV) GLS association with clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters were also evaluated.
Results:
Patients and controls were matched for age and sex: the mean age was (11± 2years) in SCA group versus (12± 1 years) in C group with a sex ratio of (1.31 versus 1.27, respectively). Body surface area was comparable. LV hypertrophy and dilation were revealed in the SCA group, whereas measurements were normal in the C group. No significant differences were observed for cardiac output (p=0.4). LVEF were preserved in both groups. However, two-dimensional (2D) LVGLS was impaired in 46% of SCA group (n=14) with mean value of (-21%±3.07 vs -25%±2.98; p<0.01).In SCA group, impaired LVGLS was significantly associated with LV mass (r = - 0.399, p<0.01), LV tele diastolic diameter(r= -0.419, p<0.01) and left atrial volume (r= - 0.399, p< 0.04). In multivariate analysis, LV mass was the only independent factor.
Conclusions:
In the present study, LVGLS measurement revealed subclinical LV systolic impairment in patients with SCA. Therefore, 2D strain could be beneficial to detect the natural history of LV dysfunction in SCA.
