Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function by the Tei Index in Patients with Atrial Septal Defect without Complication of Pulmonary Hypertension

Objective To investigate the changes of right ventricular(RV) function by tissue doppler imaging Tei index in patients with atrial septal defect(ASD) without complication of pulmonary hypertension.Methods Thirty-one patients with secundum ASD diagnosed between March and October 2012 and 30 age-matched controls were included in our study.Tissue doppler imaging was performed in all subjects to get tricuspid valve ring movement curve.Aa to S peak time(Isovolumetric Contraction Time,ICT),S peak duration(Ejection Time,ET),and S to Ea peak time(Isovolumetric Relaxation Time,IRT) were measured,and then we calculated right ventricular Tei index.Further correlative analysis was performed between right ventricular Tei index,and ASD size and patients' age.Results ICT of the ASD group was significantly lower than that of the normal controls(45 ± 7 ms vs 59 ± 8 ms,P0.001),while IRT was significantly higher(85 ± 5 ms vs 78 ± 14 ms,P0.01).Right ventricular Tei index of the ASD patients was significantly lower than that of the normal controls(0.48 ± 0.03 vs 0.52 ± 0.05,P0.001).The ASD size had negative correlation with right ventricular Tei index and ICT(r=-0.61,P0.01;r=-0.44,P0.05).Patients' age had positive relation with right ventricular Tei index,ICT and IRT(r=0.69,P0.001;r=0.75,P0.001;r=0.63,P0.001).Conclusions Tissue doppler imaging Tei index may be a fast and convenient new technology to evaluate RV function.For patients with ASD but without complication of pulmonary hypertension,ICT is short and Tei index is lower,which indicates the improvements of right ventricular systolic and overall function,while longer IRT reflects impairment of right ventricular diastolic function.Right ventricular systolic and overall function increase with ASD size,and RV function is relatively lower in patient of old age.