scholarly journals Reproducibility of Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony Indices by Three-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography: The Impact of Sub-optimal Image Quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamia Al Saikhan ◽  
Chloe Park ◽  
Alun D. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Image Quality ◽  
Speckle Tracking ◽  
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony ◽  
Ventricular Dyssynchrony ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Image Quality Causes Substantial Bias in Three-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Measures

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lamia Al Saikhan ◽  
Chloe Park ◽  
Alun Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Image Quality ◽  
Ejection Fraction ◽  
Speckle Tracking ◽  
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Systematic Bias ◽  
Substantial Bias ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) is increasingly used to assess left ventricular (LV) mechanics but the quantitative effect of image quality on measurements is not known. OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of image quality on 3D-STE derived LV indices. METHODS: Echocardiography was performed in two groups of 18 healthy participants. In the first study, optimal and intentionally poor-quality images were acquired. In the second study, a sheet of ultrasound-attenuating material (neoprene rubber) of three different thicknesses (2, 3 and 4 mm) was used to mimic mildly, moderately and severely impaired image quality respectively. RESULTS: In both studies sub-optimal image quality resulted in a systematic underestimation bias in all LV deformation and rotational indices. LV ejection fraction and volumes were also consistently underestimated. The extent of the bias was proportional to the impairment in image quality (i.e. the poorer the image quality the larger the bias). Reproducibility was also less good for sub-optimal images, although LV volumes and ejection fraction showed excellent reproducibility irrespective of image quality. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-optimal image quality introduces a substantial systematic bias and impairs the reproducibility of 3D-STE. Bias related to image quality might have important clinical implications since its magnitude is similar to that reported in association with disease and may confound associations between disease and LV mechanics.

Comparison of strain and dyssynchrony measurements in fetal two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography using Philips and TomTec

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-273
Author(s):  
Helen Ann Köster ◽  
Kerstin Hammer ◽  
Janina Braun ◽  
Kathrin Oelmeier de Murcia ◽  
Mareike Möllers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Speckle Tracking ◽  
Longitudinal Strain ◽  
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Left Ventricular Dyssynchrony ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Ventricular Dyssynchrony ◽  
Chamber View ◽  
2D Speckle Tracking

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to compare Philips and TomTec two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) software measurements of strain and dyssynchrony values in healthy fetuses.MethodsThis was an explorative observational study in which the echocardiographic data of 93 healthy fetuses between the 20th and 38th week of gestation were determined from a four-chamber view using 2D speckle tracking. The global and segmental longitudinal strain values of both ventricles, inter-ventricular and left intra-ventricular dyssynchrony were analyzed using QLab version 10.8 (Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA) and TomTec-Arena version 2.30 (TomTec, Unterschleißheim, Germany).ResultsTomTec showed persistently lower values for all of the assessed strain and dyssynchrony variables. For all variables, the bias between vendors tended to increase with gestational age, though not to a significant extent. Left ventricular dyssynchrony and longitudinal strain within the mid segment of the septum correlated best between vendors; however, the limits of agreement were wide in both cases. None of the variables assessed in the two-chamber view compared well between QLAB and TomTec.ConclusionSpeckle tracking software cannot be used interchangeably between vendors. Further investigations are necessary to standardize fetal 2D-STE.

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