Evaluation of Right Ventricular Diastolic Function in Normal Children by Doppler Echocardiography and Comparison with Left Ventricular Diastolic Function

This study was performed to provide normal values of right ventricular diastolic function, compare them with left ventricular diastolic function and examine the effects of age and body surface area on diastolic function parameters in normal children with pulsed Doppler echocardiography . Pulsed Doppler echocardiograms of transtricuspit, transmitral, pulmonary arterial and vena cava superior flows were recorded in 50 normal children aged 3.3 years to 17.9 years (mean 8.5±3,7 years). E veloc ity, A velocity, E velocity time integral, E/A velocity, E/A velocity time integral, E/ total velocity time integral were significantly lower across the tricuspid valve than across the mitral valve (p<0.0005, p<0.004, p<0.0005, p<0.0005, p<0.0005, p<0.0005 and p<0.0005, respectively). A/ total velocity time integral was significantly higher across the tricuspid valve than across the mitral valve (p<0.0005). There was no significant difference in transtricuspid and pulmonary arterial flow pulsed Doppler measurements between children less than 9 years old (n=27) and children older than 9 years old (n=23). Transmitral E velocity, A velocity and vena cava superior diastolic flow velocity were significantly higher in children less than 9 years old than children older than 9 years old (p<0.003, p<0.005 and p<0.04 respectively). The present study documents in detail the normal pulsed Doppler flow characteristics of the right ventricle and compares them with the normal left ventricular diastolic function parameters in children. These results can be used for comparison with patterns found in disease states.