Real time 3 D Echocardiography for Evaluation of Left Ventricle in Children With Thalassemia Major

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular events and complications are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in patients with Thalassemia Major (TM). Early identification of ventricular dysfunction, before the appearance of symptoms, can alter the prognosis by optimizing therapy. The aim of this study was to clarify the value of Real Time 3D Echocardiography (RT3DE) or 4-D echo in early detection of regional myocardial dysfunction in those patients before the development of overt cardiomyopathy.

Methods: This study was carried out on 60 children divided into 2 groups; Group I included 30 children with TM, Group II : 30children matched for age and sex as a control group. All the children were subjected to through clinical evaluation for any signs of heart failure, Echocardiography studies included M mode , Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and Real Time 3D Echocardiography (RT3DE) for assessment of left ventricle.

Results: TDI showed that S velocity  as well as É/ Á ratio were significantly decreased in TM compared with the control. There was significant LV enlargement through LV LSS and DSI in TM. There was no significant relation between hemoglobin level, serum ferritin and different echo parameters in our cohort.

Conclusion: RT3DE with tissue Doppler technique(TDI) are promising tools for early detection of regional systolic or diastolic dysfunction of left ventricle in children with TM.