Reproducibility of Echocardiographic Measurements of Right Ventricular Function: Comparison Between TAPSE and TDI S′

(1) Background: Assessment of right ventricular (RV) function has become increasingly important in echocardiography due to its prognostic significance in cardiac and systemic diseases. (2) Objectives: Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI S ') are commonly used methods to assess RV function. The aim of this study was to compare the reproducibility of TAPSE and TDI S ' among experienced operators. (3) Methods: A study was conducted on 100 consecutive patients with systemic sclerosis undergoing echocardiography evaluation screening for pulmonary hypertension. Standardized echocardiography images were acquired using a Philips EPIQ system (Philips Healthcare, Amsterdam, The Netherlands), measuring TAPSE and TDI S '. Five operators independently analyzed the images, with each blinded to the results. Exclusion criteria included pathological TAPSE or TDI S ' values, as well as indirect echocardiography signs of pulmonary hypertension. (4) Results: The study's results indicate that there was superior inter-operator agreement for TDI S ' (ICC = 0.891) compared to TAPSE (ICC = 0.47). The mean TAPSE measurements ranged from 23.49 mm to 23.99 mm, while TDI S ' values ranged from 12.16 cm/s to 12.35 cm/s, with TDI S ' showing narrower confidence intervals. (5) Conclusions: Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular (RV) function is crucial in clinical practice. Tissue Doppler imaging-derived systolic velocity (TDI S ') demonstrated superior reproducibility compared to tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) in evaluating RV function. This enhanced reproducibility supports the routine incorporation of TDI S ' as a highly reproducible parameter within a multiparametric assessment framework.