Human fetal hearts with tetralogy of Fallot have altered fluid dynamics and forces
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Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Studies have suggested the effect of blood flow forces in pathogenesis and progression of some congenital heart malformations. It is therefore of interest to study the fluid mechanic environment of the malformed prenatal heart, such as the tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), especially when little is known about fetal TOF. In this study, we performed patient-specific ultrasound-based flow simulations of three TOF and seven normal human fetal hearts. TOF right ventricles (RVs) had smaller end-diastolic volumes (EDVs) but similar stroke volumes (SVs), whereas TOF left ventricles (LVs) had similar EDVs but slightly increased SVs compared with normal ventricles. Simulations showed that TOF ventricles had elevated systolic intraventricular pressure gradient (IVPG) and required additional energy for ejection but IVPG elevations were considered to be mild relative to arterial pressure. TOF RVs and LVs had similar pressures because of equalization via ventricular septal defect (VSD). Furthermore, relative to normal, TOF RVs had increased diastolic wall shear stresses (WSS) but TOF LVs were not. This was caused by high tricuspid inflow that exceeded RV SV, leading to right-to-left shunting and chaotic flow with enhanced vorticity interaction with the wall to elevate WSS. Two of the three TOF RVs but none of the LVs had increased thickness. As pressure elevations were mild, we hypothesized that pressure and WSS elevation could play a role in the RV thickening, among other causative factors. Finally, the endocardium surrounding the VSD consistently experienced high WSS because of RV-to-LV flow shunt and high flow rate through the over-riding aorta.
Date Issued
2018-12-01
Date Acceptance
2018-08-30
Citation
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2018, 315 (6), pp.H1649-H1659
ISSN
0363-6135
Publisher
American Physiological Society
Start Page
H1649
End Page
H1659
Journal / Book Title
American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology
Volume
315
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2018 the American Physiological Society
Identifier
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00235.2018
Subjects
Cardiovascular System & Hematology
0606 Physiology
1116 Medical Physiology
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-11-26