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Advanced Ultrasound in Diagnosis and Therapy ›› 2025, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (3): 290-297.doi: 10.26599/AUDT.2025.240066

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  • 收稿日期:2024-11-22 修回日期:2025-03-02 接受日期:2025-03-12 出版日期:2025-09-30 发布日期:2025-10-13

Comparative Analysis of Fetal Ventricular Function: AGA vs. SGA Fetuses Using 2D Speckle-Tracking

Lohith Kumar Bittugondanahalli Prakasha,b,c,*(), Shivakumar Neeraja, Gaduputi Jahnavia, Kashif Mohammed Sa,d, K Praneethia, Reddy Manda Pranaya, S Sampangi Ramaiaha, Krishnamurthy Umesha, Prabhakar Sumana,e   

  1. aDepartment of Radiodiagnosis, M S Ramaiah Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
    bDepartment of Radiodiagnosis, MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital, Hoskote, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
    cDepartment of Radiology, Division of Clinical Radiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India
    dDepartment of Radiodiagnosis, St. Johns Medical College, Bengaluru, India
    eDepartment of Medical Imaging, The Ottawa Hospital, Canada
  • Received:2024-11-22 Revised:2025-03-02 Accepted:2025-03-12 Online:2025-09-30 Published:2025-10-13
  • Contact: Department of Radiology, Division of Clinical Radiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. e-mail:lohithbp@gmail.com(BPL K)

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Abstract:

Objective To compare fetal cardiac morphology and function between small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE), and to evaluate global longitudinal strain (GLS), global sphericity index (GSI), and fractional area change (FAC) in both ventricles with FetalHQ software.
Methods This cross-sectional observational study included 101 pregnant women, comprising 36 with SGA and 65 with AGA fetuses. Five- to fifteen-second four-chamber view (4CV) cine loops of the fetal heart were acquired and analysed using fetal heart quantification and speckle tracking (FetalHQ) software. GLS, GSI, and FAC of both left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) were measured.
Results SGA fetuses demonstrated significantly lower GSI values, consistent with a more globular cardiac shape. LV-FAC and RV-FAC were significantly lower in SGA compared with AGA fetuses, reflecting impaired systolic function. Both LV-GLS and RV-GLS values were significantly higher (less negative) in the SGA group, indicating early biventricular systolic dysfunction. These findings align with previously reported adaptive responses of the fetal myocardium to chronic hypoxia.
Conclusion The study highlights distinct alterations in fetal cardiac morphology and function between SGA and AGA groups. FetalHQ-based deformation analysis may potentially detect subclinical biventricular dysfunction in SGA fetuses before Doppler abnormalities become apparent, offering potential for earlier clinical intervention and closer monitoring.

Key words: Fetal cardiac morphology, Cardiac function, Echocardiography, Fetal HQ

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ItemsGroupP value
AGASGA
MeanSDMeanSD
4CV GSI1.270.051.180.05< 0.001
LV GLS−21.512.72−18.055.69< 0.001
RV GLS−21.962.71−18.184.09< 0.001
LV FAC40.587.3933.837.24< 0.001
RV FAC36.354.5729.236.30< 0.001

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