Normal Pediatric Values of the Subcostal Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (S-TAPSE) and Its Value in Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND

The clinical value of determination of right ventricular (RV) function in adults using echocardiographic determination of the subcostal tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (S-TAPSE) has previously been reported. We aim to provide representative, normal reference values for S-TAPSE in the pediatric age group. Moreover, validation of abnormal S-TAPSE values in children with impaired RV function, such as pulmonary hypertension (PH), is intended.

METHODS

We propose a prospective echocardiographic study in 658 healthy children and in 27 children with PH (age: 1 day to 18 years; BSA 0.2-2.0 m2). We correlated the effects of body surface area (BSA) on S-TAPSE values of our healthy subjects and children with PH. S-TAPSE values were compared with apically derived TAPSE values.

RESULTS

S-TAPSE values ranged from a mean of 0.65 ± 0.16 cm in healthy neonates to 1.79 ± 0.33 cm in 18-year-old healthy adolescents. S-TAPSE values increased with increasing age (P = 0.841, P < 0.001), body weight (P = 0.852, P < 0.001), body length (P = 0.846, P < 0.001), and BSA (P = 0.851, P < 0.001) in a nonlinear way in our healthy patients group. No difference in healthy male and female patients could be observed. In our 27 patients with PH (age range: 0.6 to 15.7 years) the median BSA specific S-TAPSE z-score ranged from -3.24 to 1.10, depending on restraint of RV function.

CONCLUSION

The provided S-TAPSE normal reference values and z-scores may assist to identify children with impaired RV function. Abnormal S-TAPSE values will help to identify impaired RV function in pediatric patients with PH.