Background: This study aimed to define the normal ranges of echocardiographic parameters that are used to evaluate right ventricular systolic functions. Methods: A total of 607 children within the age range of 0 - 18 years without any cardiac pathology or chronic disorders were included in the study. The study population was categorized into different age groups and underwent transthoracic echocardiography. In this study, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tricuspid annular peak systolic velocity (TAPSV), and right ventricular myocardial performance index (RVMPI) values were measured. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the mean TAPSE and TAPSV values of male and female subjects. The mean RVMPI was higher in females than in males. The study population was categorized into nine groups according to their age. The TAPSE, TAPSV, and RVMPI values were calculated for each group. Additionally, the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles, and ± 2 standard deviation (SD) and ± 3 SD values of TAPSE measurements were calculated for each age group. The study population was divided into eight groups according to their body surface area (BSA). Moreover, the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles of TAPSE measurements were calculated. There was a strong positive correlation between TAPSE and BSA. The TAPSE was also positively correlated with TAPSV but not with RVMPI. Conclusions: This study determined the normal values for TAPSV and RVMPI. It is important to have knowledge of the normal ranges of these parameters to recognize right ventricular dysfunction early in various cardiac disorders.
Objective: Hypertension (HT) can cause vascular and microvascular changes.There is no barrier between systemic blood and ocular region.Changes in choroidal perfusion pressure due to HT may impair retinal function and oxygenation, and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) may be affected by these changes.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of arterial HT on SCT in children. Method:The study was performed on 102 cases (51 patients and 51 controls), prospectively.Optical coherence tomography was used for the measurement of SCT and mean values of 3 consecutive measurements were evaluated.All cases had blood pressure measurements during all day via ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.Also, both groups were evaluated for the target organ damage.Results: There were 51 cases in patient group with the average age of 14.4±2.8years, and the rest of 51 control cases were meanly 14.5±2.8years in age (p=0.980).SCT was measured thinner in patients with target organ damage than the cases without target organ damage (p=0.027).SCT measurements of patients and control cases were not statistically significant different (p=0.569).Especially SCT was statistically significantly thinner in cases with increased left ventricular mass, left ventricular mass index and hypertensive nephropathy (p=0.02,p=0.00, p=0.039, respectively). Conclusion:Choroidal thickness decreases in patients with HT who develop target organ damage.Therefore, close follow-up of hypertensive patients with appropriate life changes and medical treatments is important before target organ damage develops.
Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is widely used, it is not clear which subgroup of locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients should be treated with this approach, and if a particular benefit associated with NCT exists. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential correlates of benefit from NCT in patients with NSCLC. All randomized clinical trials (RCTs) utilizing a NCT arm (without radiotherapy) versus a control arm before surgery were included for metaregression analysis. All regression analyses were weighed for trial size. Separate analyses were conducted for trials recruiting patients with different stages of disease. Previously published measures of treatment efficacy were used for the purpose of this study, regardless of being published in full text or abstract form. A total of 14 RCTs, consisting of 3,615 patients, were selected. Histology, stage, various characteristics of the NCT protocol, and different trial features including trial quality score were not associated with the benefit of NCT. However, in trials of stage 3 disease only, there was a greater benefit in terms of reduction in mortality from NCT, if protocols with three chemotherapeutics were used (B = −0.18, t = −5.25, P = 0.006). We think that patients with stage 3 NSCLC are served better with NCT before surgery if protocols with three chemotherapy agents or equally effective combinations are used. In addition, the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is consistent with regard to disease and patient characteristics. This finding should be tested in future RCTs or individual patient data meta-analyses.
