Assessment of diastolic function of normal fetal heart using dual-gate Doppler

Abstract

Objectives: The ratio of mitral peak early diastolic filling to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e′) reflects diastolic cardiac function in adults. Dual-gate Doppler (DD) enables measurements of E/e′ in the same heart beat. This study was designed to assess the utility of the DD method for measurement of fetal E/e′ and determine reference ranges for normal fetuses. Methods: This prospective study comprised normal singleton pregnancies undergoing fetal echocardiography between 16 and 36 weeks of gestation. According to the DD method, E-wave velocity on pulsed-wave Doppler and e′-wave on tissue Doppler imaging were measured simultaneously on an apical or basal four-chamber view, and fetal E/e′ was calculated. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between gestational age (GA) and E-wave and e′-wave velocities and E/e′. Results: A total of 133 pregnancies were included in this study and all E/e′ measurements were successful. Significant correlation was observed between GA and both left ventricular (LV) E/e′ (r s = –0.666, P < 0.001) and right ventricular (RV) E/e′ (r s = –0.607, P < 0.001). The regression equations for bilateral E/e′ were: LV-E/e′ = 17.341 − 0.631GA + 0.008 × GA2 (mean ± SD, R 2 = 0.440 ± 1.333); and RV-E/e′ = 19.156 − 0.794GA + 0.012GA2 (R 2 = 0.419 ± 1.329). Conclusions: Bilateral E/e′ of normal fetuses, measured using the DD method, decreased with GA, which is considered to be related to myocardial maturity. DD is a useful and convenient method for evaluating fetal E/e′ in order to assess diastolic function in the prenatal period. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.