To investigate the correlation between normal fetal biventricular myocardial function and gestational age using velocity vector imaging

Figures

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  Figure 1. The strain rate curves of the left ventricular wall and left ventricular interventricular septum at each segment. The negative systolic strain rate indicates the longitudinal shortening of the myocardium, and the positive diastolic strain rate indicates the longitudinal elongation of the myocardium.

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  Figure 2. The histogram of the systolic and diastolic velocities of the left and right ventricular longitudinal walls at each segment. The velocities of the left and right ventricles, regardless of lateral wall (free wall) or interventricular septum, show a decreasing trend from the basal segment to the apex segment, in the following order: basal segment > middle segment > apex segment. The differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). The systolic velocity is a positive value, and the diastolic velocity is a negative value.

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  Figure 3. The histogram of the strain of the left and right ventricular walls at each segment. There were no statistically significant differences in the strain between the left and right ventricles (P > 0.05). The strain values were negative.

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  Figure 4. The histogram of the strain rate of the left and right ventricular wall at each segment. There were no statistically significant differences in the systolic and diastolic strain rate between the left and right ventricles at each segment. The strain rate of the right ventricle was higher than that of the left ventricle.

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  Figure 5. The scatter diagram of the relationship between the global left ventricular systolic (A) and diastolic (B) peak velocity and gestational age. As is shown in Figure 5A, there was a correlation between the left ventricular global systolic peak velocity and the gestational age (P < 0.05), with a correlation coefficient r = 0.497, and the regression equation was calculated as follows: global left ventricular systolic velocity = 0.061 + (0.038 × gestational age). As is shown in Figure 5B, there was a correlation between the left ventricular global diastolic peak velocity and the gestational age (P < 0.05), with a correlation coefficient r = 0.557, and the regression equation was calculated as follows: left ventricular global diastolic velocity = 0.072 + (−0.044 × gestational age).

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  Figure 6. The scatter diagram of the relationship between the right ventricular global systolic (A) and diastolic (B) peak velocity and gestational age. As is shown in Figure 6A, there was a correlation between the right ventricular global systolic peak velocity and the gestational age (P < 0.05), with a correlation coefficient r = 0.369, and the regression equation was calculated as follows: right ventricular global systolic velocity = 0.579 + (0.021 × gestational age). As is shown in Figure 6B, there was a correlation between the right ventricular global diastolic peak velocity and the gestational age (P < 0.05), with a correlation coefficient r = 0.353, and the regression equation was calculated as follows: right ventricular global diastolic velocity = −0.644 + (−0.022 × gestational age).