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Updated: Jan 12, 2026
Hemodynamic Precision in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit using Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography
Published on: January 27, 2023
Study on the Correlation Between Ventricular Function Evaluated by Z-Score of Atrioventricular Annular Plane Systolic
Xianfeng Guo1, Bowen Zhao2, Yilin Li3
1Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Seventh People's Hospital of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Purpose:
Ebstein anomaly (EA) is a congenital heart disease that can cause intrauterine fetal death. Pulmonary valve stenosis or atresia (PS/PA) and retrograde ductus arteriosus flow (RDAF) are important factors leading to a poor prognosis, but the causes of its formation are still unclear. This study aimed to assess the correlation between left and right ventricular function and PS/PA and RDAF in fetuses with EA using MAPSE and TAPSE Z-score values measured by free angle M-mode (FAM) echocardiography.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort study of 34 EA and 68 normal fetuses was enrolled. Differences in Z-score values were compared between the control, EA with and without PS/PA groups, and between EA-PS/PA with and without RDAF group. Correlation analysis was performed between Z-score values with the ratio of inner diameter of the pulmonary to the aortic valve annulus (PA/AO) and RDAF.
Results:
The differences in Z-score values were significant (p < 0.001) between three groups. Z-score values were lower in EA-PS/PA with RDAF compared to the without RDAF group (p < 0.05). Z-scores were all positively correlated with PA/AO in the EA group (p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with RDAF in the EA-PS/PA group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Decreased ventricular function of EA fetus is related to the formation of PS/PA. After the formation of PS/PA, the degree of damage to ventricular function is not related to the diameter of the pulmonary artery; it is related to the formation of RDAF.
