Left ventricular extracellular volume is associated with loss of exercise tolerance in children after Tetralogy of Fallot repair, but not with ventricular dysfunction
The mean pulmonary regurgitation fraction was 36±16% and RV enddiastolic volumes were
enlarged (EV-EDV 155±52 ml/m2) with near-normal ejection fraction (RV-EF 47±8%). LV measures were unremarkable.
(Native T1 times and ECV did not differ significantly between different parts of the
LV (native T1 time: IVS 1001±52 ms, LV lateral wall 978±55ms, entire LV 982±39ms;
ECV: IVS 25±4%, LV lateral wall 23±5%, entire LV 24±3%) and between males and females,
but were higher in the RV as compared to the LV (RV native T1 times 1021±69ms (vs.
entire LV p0.05), ECV 29±6% (vs. entire LV p0.005)). There was no correlation of
LV or RV native T1 times and ECV with peak segmental and global strain (global LV
peak circumferential strain -22.2±4.6%, RV radial and longitudinal strain of the RV
free wall 28.6±18.8% and -11.5±5%) nor with SDpeak (LV 49±30ms or 6.4±3.8% of RR-interval).
Exercise test results, available in 11 patients, correlated negatively with ECV of
the entire LV (V02 max. r=-0.62, p0.05, Peak workload r=-0.63, p0.05).