Text Box: THE ALTERATION OF HEART FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH CONGENITAL HYPOTHYROIDISM Li G-M, Ma P-R, Chen L-J, Gao F, Jiang S-Y Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan, China Objective: To assess the alteration of heart function in patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CHT) by some new indicators of directly quantitative characterization of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function measured by a newly developed Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) and with conventional function indices; To observe the response to levo-thyroxine therapy Methods: The systolic and diastolic early velocities of mitral valvular ring (MVR-SV and MVR-DeV), endocardial systolic and diastolic velocities of left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW-EnSV and LVPW-EnDV) were measured by DTI;left atrial (LA) ,left ventricular systolic and diastolic volume index (LVsVI and LVdVI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), stroke volume index (SI), transmitral early (E) and late (A) flow velocity, and E/A measured by Doppler echocardiography (UCG); cardiac enzyme and electrocardiogram were also examed in 20 patients with CHT and 20 normal children whose age were similar to CHT. Results: The MVR-SV, MVR-DeV, LVPW-EnSV, LVPW-EnDV, E and E/A were significantly lower and the LA, LVsVI, LVdVI and LVMI were significantly higher in CHT than those in normal subjects; the MVR-DeV was significantly more sensitive than conventional indicators;The cardiac function recover in patients with CHT after the treatment by levo-thyroxine 2-12 weeks. Conclusions: Cardiac lesion easily involved in patients with CHT; DTI provide a newly sensitive and reliable method for measuring left ventricular function; The cardiac function recover within 2-12 weeks after the levo-thyroxnie therapy. 1110