Speckle Strain Analysis of Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Paediatric Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve—A Pilot Study

Background: /Objectives: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is a prevalent congenital heart defect that continues to present a significant challenge in the management of paediatric patients. The assessment of left ventricle systolic function is typically conducted through the measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction. Currently, left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LV GLS) is regarded as a more sensitive indicator, enabling the quantitative assessment of global and segmental ventricular function through the determination of myocardial deformation. Methods: A prospective study was conducted between 10 January 2023 and 10 January 2024 in a tertiary paediatric cardiology referral centre. The study enrolled children aged 6 to 17 years with BAV who were undergoing periodic evaluation, as well as a control group. The primary objective is to analyse the systolic function (global and segmental LV) using the classical method (LV EF) and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Results: The study group comprised 73 patients with a mean age of 13 years, with a male predominance. The control group comprised 55 patients. The phenotype IB with aortic regurgitation (AR) was the most prevalent. The results of the STE evaluation in the control group demonstrate mean GLS values between -22.1% and -22.8%. A comparison of the BAV group and the control group revealed a significant difference in GLS for the apical four-chamber view (p = 0.022).