Peer-reviewed article
Can Real-Time Three-Dimensional (Four-Dimensional) and Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Predict Cardiac Involvement Detected by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?
Ayşe Güler Eroğlu, Enes Kaynak, Nujin Uluğ Murt, Emine Şebnem Durmaz, Seda Sönmez Kurukaya et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a medical study comparing two imaging techniques (echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging) for detecting heart problems in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The study involved 18 boys and found moderate correlations between the two imaging methods in measuring heart function. While the research is technically sound, it focuses on diagnostic tool validation rather than child well-being outcomes or interventions that affect children's health or development.
Key points
- Study compared real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and speckle-tracking echocardiography with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
- Included 18 boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (median age 11.9 years)
- Moderately positive correlations found for ejection fraction (r=0.669) and various strain measurements
- Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography showed correlations with MRI in 13 of 16 cardiac regions
- Authors note need for larger studies with broader disease severity range
Limitations
This is a small cross-sectional study with only 18 participants and no comparison group, so it cannot establish causation or generalisability. It does not evaluate the impact of any intervention on child health outcomes or well-being.
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate usefulness of real-time three-dimensional (four-dimensional) and three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in detecting cardiac involvement identified by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This cross-sectional study included 18 boys with a median age of 11.9 years (10.5-13.2 years). Left ventricular ejection fraction, global and regional myocardial strains were assessed using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography as well as magnetic resonance imaging. Late gadolinium enhancement was evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Moderately positive correlations were found for ejection fraction (r = 0.669, p = 0.003), global longitudinal strain (r = 0.618, p = 0.008), global circumferential strain (r = 0.513, p = 0.035), and global radial strain (r = 0.605, p = 0.01) measured by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, longitudinal and circumferential strain values measured by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography showed correlations with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in the same segment and/or adjacent segments in 13 of 16 regions , with correlation coefficients between 0.487 and 0.776 (p < 0.05). Radial strain values demostrated correlations in 25 regions, with correlation coefficients between 0.487 and 0.690 (p < 0.05). Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography and three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography provided valuable information about left ventricular function as well as global and regional myocardial strain compared with magnetic resonance imaging in our patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Further studies including larger patient populations and a broader range of disease severity are needed to confirm these findings.