Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion and right ventricular ejection fraction in pediatric and adolescent patients with tetralogy of Fallot, patients with atrial septal defect, and age-matched normal subjects.

AIMS: To determine whether TAPSE is an accurate marker of right ventricular (RV) systolic function in patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and patients with small atrial septal defect (ASD). The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) values were measured and compared with RV ejection fraction (EF).

METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective study was conducted in pediatric and adolescent patients with TOF (n = 110), with isolated small secundum ASD (n = 200), and age-matched patients with normally structured heart. The TAPSE values showed a positive correlation with age in both patients with ASD and normal subjects. No significant difference of TAPSE values was seen in control subjects and age-matched ASD patients. The TAPSE was not decreased compared to normal subjects in eight infant TOF patients before corrective surgery. A reduction of TAPSE values with increasing time interval following corrective surgery was seen. After a mean of 7 years TAPSE values become significantly reduced compared to age-matched controls, being below the lower bound of the -2 SD.

CONCLUSION: In ASD patients the systolic RV function was preserved over the pediatric age group when compared to normal subjects. In contrast, although initially preserved, we found an impaired TAPSE with increasing postoperative period in our TOF patients.