1. INTRODUCTION
Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is
a relatively common defect that occurs in the general population at a
rate of 0.06%-0.08%, constituting 6%-8% of congenital heart
disease. 1,2 CoA
can be clinically asymptomatic, or it may present with a shock in
infancy and may present with systemic hypertension, intracranial
bleeding, and heart failure in adults.3 Even if CoA is
successfully treated, systemic hypertension can lead to the development
of late complications such as left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, heart
failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, or sudden cardiac death.4,5
LV ejection fraction (EF) is known
not to be a sensitive marker for the detection of subclinical LV
systolic dysfunction, and tissue Doppler imaging has its own
limitations, including angle dependency.6,7Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) is a novel
used method in terms of showing regional subclinical myocardial
functions. 8 The early detection of subclinical
myocardial dysfunction in patients with CoA is essential for planning
treatment. In an echocardiographic study, it was suggested that global
longitudinal strain may become the optimal method for the assessment of
global LV systolic function.9 This study aims to
evaluate LV myocardial deformation using 2D-STE in young patients who
underwent intervention due to CoA.