Multi-plane echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular function in adults with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot

<p>In patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), detailed assessment of right ventricular (RV) function is important for management and timing of possible pulmonary valve re-intervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate RV function using two-dimensional multi-plane echocardiography (2D MPE), a novel four-wall imaging method obtained from one apical acoustic window utilising electronic plane rotation. In sixty-two ToF patients (aged - 28 [22, 39] years, 65% male), systolic function of four different RV walls (lateral, anterior, inferior and inferior coronal) were evaluated using MPE. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity (RV-S′) and RV wall longitudinal strain (RV-LS) measurements were compared with those of matched healthy individuals. 2D MPE measurements were highly feasible across the four RV walls (93.5–100% for TAPSE/S′; 66.1–95.1% for RVLS) and could be performed more reliably than 3D RV ejection fraction (RVEF − 56.5%). All functional values were significantly reduced when compared to the control group (p &lt; 0.001). Higher RV-LS values were seen in the lateral (− 17.8 ± 4.5%) and inferior (− 17.8 ± 4.2%) walls compared to the anterior (− 15.9 ± 3.8%) and inferior coronal (− 15.1 ± 3.9%) walls. 3D RVEF correlated strongest with RV-LS values from the lateral (r − 0.50; p = 0.002) and anterior walls (r − 0.74; p &lt; 0.001) and furthermore the four-wall average (r − 0.57; p = 0.001). 2D MPE evaluation of the RV is highly feasible in ToF patients. This novel method provides new insights into regional RV wall function, enabling a more comprehensive and quantitative approach to RV assessment in daily clinical practice.</p>

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