Echocardiographic Image Quality Deteriorates with Age in Children and Young Adults with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

[摘要] BackgroundAdvances in medical care for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) have resulted in improved survival and an increased prevalence of cardiomyopathy. Serial echocardiographic surveillance is recommended to detect early cardiac dysfunction and initiate medical therapy. Clinical anecdote suggests that echocardiographic quality diminishes over time, impeding accurate assessment of left ventricular systolic function. Furthermore, evidence-based guidelines for the use of cardiac imaging in DMD, including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), are limited. The objective of our single-center, retrospective study was to quantify the deterioration in echocardiographic image quality with increasing patient age and identify an age at which CMR should be considered.

[学科分类] 心脏病和心血管学

[关键词] Duchenne muscular dystrophy;cardiomyopathy;echocardiography;image quality;cardiac magnetic resonance imaging;pediatric cardiology