eLetters is an online forum for ongoing peer review. To submit an eLetter please go to the article you wish to respond to and click on the link that reads "eLetters: Submit a Response." Submission of eLetters are open to all health care professionals and experts in related fields.

eLetters to:

ARTICLES:
Peter M. Mourani, Marci K. Sontag, Adel Younoszai, D. Dunbar Ivy, and Steven H. Abman
Clinical Utility of Echocardiography for the Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Vascular Disease in Young Children With Chronic Lung Disease
Pediatrics 2008; 121: 317-325 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
*eLetters: Submit a response to this article

eLetters published:

[Read eLetters] Difficulties in estimating pulmonary artery pressures using echocardiographic techniques
Curt G DeGroff   (22 January 2009)

Difficulties in estimating pulmonary artery pressures using echocardiographic techniques 22 January 2009
Top
Curt G DeGroff,
Pediatric Cardiologist
University of Florida

Send letter to journal:
Re: Difficulties in estimating pulmonary artery pressures using echocardiographic techniques

degroffc{at}juno.com Curt G DeGroff

Dear Sir or Madam: This letter is in regards to the important work published recently by Mourani, et al [1]. The authors nicely demonstrated the difficulties in estimating pulmonary artery pressures using echocardiographic techniques, particularly spectral Doppler of the tricuspid regurgitant (TR) jet. The authors demonstrate this techniques’ lack, at times, of correlation with cardiac catheterization. Unfortunately the authors failed to report on any qualitative or quantitative assessment of the quality of the spectral Doppler TR signals they were able to obtain in their study population while pointing out the importance of such an assessment of quality of signal in their discussion section. Also, they left undefined what the term “measurable” meant in regards to the spectral Doppler signal itself. Without this information their assessment of the ability of TR spectral Doppler jet measurement to estimate pulmonary artery pressures remains in question.

Sincerely yours,

Curt DeGroff, MD Associate Professor Congenital Heart Center at the University of Florida

1. Mourani PM, Sontag MK, Younoszai A, Ivy DD, Abman SH. Pulmonary Vascular Disease in Young Children With Chronic Lung Disease. Pediatrics 2008;121;317-325.

Conflict of Interest:

None declared