Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography-derived left ventricular longitudinal systolic strain is an important myocardial deformation parameter for assessing the systolic function of the left ventricle. Strain values differ according to the vendor machine and software. This study aimed to provide normal reference values for global and regional left ventricular longitudinal systolic strain in Egyptian children using automated functional imaging software integrated into the General Electric healthcare machine and to study the correlation between the global longitudinal left ventricular systolic strain and age, body size, vital data, and some echocardiographic parameters.

Healthy children (250) aged from 1 to 16 years were included. Conventional echocardiography was done to measure the left ventricular dimensions and function. Automated functional imaging was performed to measure the global and regional peak longitudinal systolic strain.

The global longitudinal strain was −21.224 ± 1.862%. The regional strain was −20.68 ± 2.11%, −21.06 ± 1.84%, and −21.86 ± 2.71% at the basal, mid, and apical segments, respectively. The mean values of the systolic longitudinal strain become significantly more negative from base to apex. Age differences were found as regard to global and regional longitudinal strain parameters but no gender differences. The global peak longitudinal systolic strain correlated positively with age. No correlations were found with either the anthropometric parameters or the vital data.

Age-specific normal values for two-dimensional speckle tracking-derived left ventricular longitudinal regional and global systolic strain are established using automated functional imaging.