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Hemodynamic and Structural Comparison of Human Fetal Heart Development Between Normally Growing and Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome-Diagnosed Hearts

Authors :
Huseyin Enes Salman
Reema Yousef Kamal
Ziyad M. Hijazi
Huseyin Cagatay Yalcin
Source :
Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 13 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Frontiers Media S.A., 2022.

Abstract

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect a wide range of societies with an incidence rate of 1.0–1.2%. These defects initiate at the early developmental stage and result in critical health disorders. Although genetic factors play a role in the formation of CHDs, the occurrence of cases in families with no history of CHDs suggests that mechanobiological forces may also play a role in the initiation and progression of CHDs. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a critical CHD, which is responsible for 25–40% of all prenatal cardiac deaths. The comparison of healthy and HLHS hearts helps in understanding the main hemodynamic differences related to HLHS. Echocardiography is the most common imaging modality utilized for fetal cardiac assessment. In this study, we utilized echocardiographic images to compare healthy and HLHS human fetal hearts for determining the differences in terms of heart chamber dimensions, valvular flow rates, and hemodynamics. The cross-sectional areas of chamber dimensions are determined from 2D b-mode ultrasound images. Valvular flow rates are measured via Doppler echocardiography, and hemodynamic quantifications are performed with the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The obtained results indicate that cross-sectional areas of the left and right sides of the heart are similar for healthy fetuses during gestational development. The left side of HLHS heart is underdeveloped, and as a result, the hemodynamic parameters such as flow velocity, pressure, and wall shear stress (WSS) are significantly altered compared to those of healthy hearts.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1664042X
Volume :
13
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Frontiers in Physiology
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.0ee0e07c455e4043b607190d7fbbbe1a
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.856879