The ratio of mitral peak early diastolic filling to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (E/e') reflects diastolic cardiac function in adults. The Dual gate Doppler (DD) method enables measurements of E/e' in the same heartbeat. This study was designed to assess the utility of the DD method for measurement of fetal E/e', and to determine reference ranges for normal fetuses.This prospective study comprised normal singleton pregnancies between 16 and 36 weeks of gestational age (GA). To calculate fetal E/e', the apical or basal 4-chamber view was demonstrated. Each E wave velocity on pulsed-wave Doppler imaging and each e' wave on tissue Doppler imaging were measured simultaneously according to the DD method.A total of 133 pregnancies were included in this study, and all E/e' measurements were successful. Significant correlations were found between GA and left ventricular (LV) E/e' (rs = -0.666, P < 0.001), and between GA and right ventricular (RV) E/e' (rs = -0.607, P < 0.001). The regression equations for bilateral E/e' were as follows: LV-E/e' = 17.341 - 0.631GA + 0.008xGA 2 (R2 = 0.440, SD 1.333); and RV-E/e' = 19.156 - 0.794GA + 0.012GA 2 (R2 = 0.419, SD 1.329).Bilateral E/e' of normal fetuses, measured using the DD method, decreased with GA, which is considered related to myocardial maturity. The DD method is useful and convenient for evaluating fetal E/e' to estimate diastolic function in the prenatal period.This study was retrospectively registered with Japanese Clinical Trial Registry "UMIN-CTR" on 23 March 2017 (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index-j.htm) and was given a trial ID number UMIN000026656.

作者：Mayumi, Takano；Masahiko, Nakata；Sumito, Nagasaki；Rei, Ueyama；Mineto, Morita

来源：Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 2017 年