FE Doppler Assessment Flashcards

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in fetal echocardiography measures:

Answer: Myocardial wall motion velocities

TDI measures low-velocity, high-amplitude myocardial wall motion, providing information about systolic and diastolic myocardial function.

In speckle-tracking echocardiography, global longitudinal strain (GLS) measures:

Answer: Myocardial deformation along the long axis of the ventricle

GLS quantifies myocardial shortening in the longitudinal direction, providing a sensitive marker of systolic dysfunction before changes in fractional shortening.

The four-chamber view Doppler of the mitral and tricuspid inflow shows an A-wave dominant pattern in early gestation because:

Answer: Fetal myocardium has reduced compliance, making active filling dominant

Early fetal myocardium is stiff and non-compliant, reducing passive early (E-wave) filling and making active atrial contraction (A-wave) the dominant filling mechanism.

Which Doppler technique allows simultaneous assessment of aortic and mitral valve timing to calculate the mechanical PR interval?

Answer: Simultaneous pulsed-wave Doppler at the left ventricular outflow and inflow

Simultaneous pulsed-wave Doppler sampling at the left ventricular outflow tract (aortic) and inflow (mitral) allows calculation of the mechanical PR interval.

Which Doppler finding is most specific for severe fetal aortic stenosis?

Answer: High-velocity jet across the aortic valve with post-stenotic dilation

Severe aortic stenosis produces a high-velocity turbulent jet across the aortic valve with post-stenotic dilation of the ascending aorta.

What does an increased deceleration time of the mitral E-wave in the fetus suggest?

Answer: Impaired left ventricular relaxation

Prolonged deceleration time of the mitral E-wave reflects impaired left ventricular relaxation, an early marker of diastolic dysfunction.