Journal of the Saudi Heart Association (Oct 2015)
33. Two dimensional and M-mode measurements of tricuspid annular systolic plane excursion, are they comparable?
Abstract
Right ventricular (RV) function has been shown to be a major determinant of clinical outcome. American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) recommends using several measurements to assess RV function including tricuspid annular systolic plane excursion (TAPSE). Conventionally, TAPSE is measured from M-mode interrogation of tricuspid annulus in 4-chamber view which was not routine measurement in many echocardiographic laboratories prior to the guidelines. In this study we sought to determine the feasibility to measure TAPSE from 2-dimensional echo (2D-TAPSE) and to compare it with that obtained by M-mode (MM-TAPSE). Methods: We included 45 patients referred for RV function assessment. MM-TAPSE measurements were obtained from routinely performed echocardiography. 2D TAPSE measurements were obtained offline by an experienced echocardiologist. It was calculated as the difference in the distance between tricuspid annular plane and a fixed point in the image sector in diastole and systole. Results: The mean age was 34.9 ± 13 years, males were 46%. The 2D-TAPSE measurements were feasible in all the patients (100%). MM-TAPSE was 2.05 ± 0.49 cm and 2D-TAPSE was 1.96 ± 0.47 cm, the mean difference was −0.08 ± 0.2 cm. There was good correlation between the two methods; the correlation coefficient was 0.81. Intra-class correlation (ICC) test also showed very good agreement between MM-TAPSE and 2D-TAPSE (ICC coefficient = 0.90, p < 0.001). Conclusion: MM-TAPSE and 2D-TAPSE correlate strongly. 2D-TAPSE can provide a reliable alternative to MM-TAPSE to quantitatively measure RV systolic function and may be especially useful in situations where retrospective comparisons are sought.