This study aimed to determine the variation in parameters according to cardiac cycle length (CL; time interval between the QRS peaks on ECG) in children by using the conventional pulsed Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging echocardiography.

Eighteen children with an anatomically normal heart were enrolled for the study. All children were examined by conventional and pulsed Doppler echocardiography at Gangneung Asan hospital between July 2006 and June 2007. We measured the CLs, mitral inflow velocities (E,A) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters (s', e', a') from apical 4-chamber view. The TDI parameters were measured at the lateral (Lat) and septal (Sep) part of the mitral valve. All parameters were measured at 6 to 18 consecutive beats from each child. We then evaluated the linear correlation between CL and each parameter.

The mean age was 3.6±0.5 years (M:F=8:10). There were significantly negative linear correlations between CL and A, Lat s', Lat a', Sep s', Sep e', Sep a' ( P <0.01). There were significantly positive linear correlations between CL and E/A, Lat e'/a', Sep e'/a' ( P <0.01). However, the E and Lat e' were not correlated with CL ( P =0.229 and 0.221, respectively).

This study showed that the values of the left ventricular functional parameters were changed according to CL. From our results, it is imperative to carefully examine beat-to-beat variations in children.