Assessment of strain and mechanical dyssynchrony indices in single ventricle populations by cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking techniques

Background Single ventricle (SV) physiology consists of a single pumping chamber that provides both systemic and pulmonary blood flow. The typical quantitative measurements of ventricular function (i.e. ejection fraction) cannot be accurately applied to single ventricles due to abnormal ventricular morphology. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) has become a leading diagnostic tool in the assessment of ventricular mechanics in patients with abnormal ventricular morphology. CMR feature-tracking (FT) techniques allow for the analysis of circumferential strain (ecc), longitudinal strain (ell), and mechanical dyssynchrony indices (MDI). We hypothesize that evidence of declining ecc, ell, and MDI by CMR will be a early biomarker of ventricular dysfunction in SV patients. Methods