Left Ventricular Mechanics Assessed by 2-dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Children and Adolescents With Idiopathic Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of data collected prospectively.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the possible effects of idiopathic scoliosis on left ventricular (LV) myocardial performance in children and adolescent patients.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Spine anomaly may impair cardiorespiratory function. It has been confirmed that respiratory function decreased in patients with scoliosis. However, limited study of the effect of scoliosis on heart function has been published, and no assessment of myocardial deformation of these patients has been reported to our knowledge.

METHODS: Forty-one patients with a median age of 16 years and a median Cobb's angle of 75 degrees were studied. LV myocardial deformation was evaluated using 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. The results were compared with those of 33 controls. The correlations between Cobb's angle and echocardiographic parameters in patients were also explored.

RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients had significantly lower global LV longitudinal systolic strain in all 3 views (4 chamber, 2 chamber, and 3 chamber views), lower global radial and circumferential strains in mitral valve (MV) level and papillary muscle (PM) level; reduced LV longitudinal early diastolic strain rate (SRe) in all 3 longitudinal views and reduced radial SRe in MV level and reduced circumferential SRe in apical (AP) level; decreased LV longitudinal late diastolic strain rate in 4-chamber view and decreased radial ones in all 3 short-axis levels. Among patients, Cobb's angle correlated negatively with LV global radial strain of MV level (r=-0.37, P=0.02), global circumferential strain of MV level (r=-0.35, P=0.03), and global circumferential strain of PM level (r=-0.49, P=0.001), whereas positively with LV longitudinal SRa of 4-chamber view (r=0.46, P=0.003), longitudinal SRa of 2-chamber view (r=0.49, P=0.001), and circumferential SRa of AP level (r=0.35, P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: LV mechanics are impaired in patients with idiopathic scoliosis, which correlate with the severity of scoliosis. Our findings suggest the need and provide a mechanical basis for further studies in these patients.