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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

Left atrial strain on 2D-STE in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy

Yi Wu1, Qiu-Qin Xu1, Wei Liu2

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Zhongnan Street 92, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 215025, China.

Echo Research and Practice
|July 5, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients showed improved left atrial (LA) strain after medical therapy. Left atrial conduit strain (LAScd) may serve as a sensitive indicator for LA strain in pediatric DCM.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • Pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a serious condition affecting heart function.
  • Left atrial (LA) strain assessment using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) is crucial for evaluating cardiac health.
  • Understanding LA strain progression in pediatric DCM patients under medical therapy is essential for prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize left atrial (LA) strain in pediatric dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) using 2D-STE.
  • To evaluate the progression of LA strain with long-term medical therapy in pediatric DCM patients.
  • To identify potential imaging biomarkers for LA strain in pediatric DCM.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of pediatric DCM patients receiving standardized medical treatment for over one year.
  • Inclusion of age- and sex-matched controls with normal echocardiography.
  • Analysis of echocardiographic images at baseline, 1-year, and >2-year post-treatment using 2D-STE to assess LA strain (LASr, LAScd) and tissue mitral annular displacement (TMAD).

Main Results:

  • Pediatric DCM patients exhibited significantly lower LA reservoir strain (LASr) and conduit strain (LAScd) compared to controls.
  • Patients with DCM associated with left ventricular (LV) hypertrabeculation showed improved LVEF, LVFS, LASr, and LAScd compared to isolated DCM.
  • Significant improvements in LVEF, LVFS, LASr, and LAScd were observed between 1-year and >2-year post-treatment periods.

Conclusions:

  • Long-term standardized medical treatment significantly improves left atrial reservoir and conduit functions in pediatric DCM patients.
  • Left atrial conduit strain (LAScd) demonstrates potential as a sensitive imaging modality for assessing LA strain in pediatric DCM.
  • 2D-STE is a valuable tool for monitoring LA strain progression and treatment response in pediatric DCM.
Abstract

Keywords:
Dilated cardiomyopathyEchocardiographyLeft atrial strainTwo-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography

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