Reproducibility of Echocardiographic Measurements of Right Ventricular Function: Comparison Between TAPSE and TDI S'

(1) Background: Assessment of right ventricular (RV) function has become increasingly important in echocardiography due to its prognostic significance in cardiac and systemic diseases. (2) Objectives: Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI S') are commonly used methods to assess RV function. The aim of this study was to compare the reproducibility of TAPSE and TDI S' among experienced operators. (3) Methods: A study was conducted on 100 consecutive patients with systemic sclerosis undergoing echocardiography evaluation screening for pulmonary hypertension. Standardized echocardiography images were acquired using a Philips EPIQ system (Philips Healthcare, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), measuring TAPSE and TDI S'. Five operators independently analyzed the images, with each blinded to the results. Exclusion criteria included pathological TAPSE or TDI S' values, as well as indirect echocardiography signs of pulmonary hypertension. (4) Results: The study's results indicate that there was superior inter-operator agreement for TDI S' (ICC = 0.891) compared to TAPSE (ICC = 0.47). The mean TAPSE measurements ranged from 23.49 mm to 23.99 mm, while TDI S' values ranged from 12.16 cm/s to 12.35 cm/s, with TDI S' showing narrower confidence intervals. (5) Conclusions: Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular (RV) function is crucial in clinical practice. Tissue Doppler imaging-derived systolic velocity (TDI S') demonstrated superior reproducibility compared to tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in evaluating RV function. This enhanced reproducibility supports the routine incorporation of TDI S' as a highly reproducible parameter within a multiparametric assessment framework.