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.