M-Mode and tissue Doppler imaging derived normal values of left and right ventricular function in healthy infants

摘要

We read with interest the article "Normal values of left and right ventricular function measured by M-mode, pulsed Doppler and Doppler tissue imaging in healthy term neonates during a 1 year period" from Alp et al. [1 ]. In our opinion this is an excellent statement describing the development of left and right ventricular function parameters during infancy. The authors clearly state that there is a need for a detailed evaluation of left and right ventricular function parameters, e.g. the tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity (S'), in the infant population in a longitudinal study design [ 1 ]. For the convenience of the audience of Early Human Development and especially for centers performing detailed echocardio-graphic investigations, we want to add that quite recently our group has published normal S' values with Z scores for healthy pediatric patients [2]. Our data are in accordance to data from Alp et al. [1 ], showing an increase of ventricular function parameters during the first year of age. Furthermore, M-mode measurements of longitudinal systolic function of the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV), e.g. tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), showed very similar results when compared to data from Alp et al. [1] in healthy neonates and infants [3,4]. In our opinion the data from Alp et al. [1 ] are very interesting and from a high value as they investigated their patients in a longitudinal and not in a cross sectional study design as where the most other studies in this field. We want to thank the authors for addressing the need for careful and systematic evaluation of LV and RV function parameters in infants. We hope that with more and more available normal reference values and Z-scores for this population that quantification of normal LV and RV function will become an easy available tool for all sonographers.