Left ventricular regional and global diastolic function assessed using Quantitative Tissue velocity Imaging in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objectives The study was performed to assess the left ventricular (LV) regional and global diastolic function、left ventricular wall motion features in patients with Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by Quantitative Tissue Velocity Imaging (QTVI). Methods 42 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 36 age-matched normal subjects underwent QTVI study. Off-line LV regional muscular tissue velocity Imaging along LV apical long-axis view were obtained. Regional diastolic function was assessed in using peak tissue velocities of LV regional muscular tissue during early diastole (Ve)and LA contraction (Va), Ve/Va ratio, derived from Tissue Velocity Imaging. Global diastolic function was reflected by isovolumic relaxation time(IRT) and mitral valve peak flow velocity ( E/A ) calculated with pulsed wave doppler. The end-diastolic interventricular septal thickness (ⅣSt) was measured by conventional 2 - dimension echocardiography. Results ① Ve、 Va、 Ve/Va in the segments of hypertrophic interventricular septum (IVS) reduced wlhile E/A ratio significantly reduced and IRT markedly prolonged in HCM patients than in normal subjects。 ② Ve、 Ve/Va were significant reduced in the segments of hypertrophic interventricular septum compared with other LV segments in HCM patients . ③ There was a correlation between Ve/Va and E/A in HCM patients with abnormal E/A ratio (r = 0. 70). ④ There was a negative correlation between Ve/Va and ⅣSt in non -obstruction HCM patients (B group , r = -0.61 ) Conclusions QTVI offers a newer method in clinical practice which has a higher sensibility and accuracy in evaluating the LV regional and global diastolic function in HCM patients .

Value of Quantitative Tissue Velocity Imaging in the Detection of Regional Myocardial Function in Dogs with Acute Subendocardial Ischemia

This study evaluated the application of quantitative tissue velocity imaging （QTVI） in assessing regional myocardial systolic and diastolic functions in dogs with acute subendocardial ischemia. Animal models of subendocardial ischemia were established by injecting microspheres （about 300 μm in diameter） into the proximal end of left circumflex coronary artery in 11 hybrid dogs through cannulation. Before and after embolization, two-dimensional echocardiography, QTVI and real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography （RT-MCE） via intravenous infusion of self-made microbubbles,were performed, respectively. The systolic segmental wall thickening and subendocardial myocardial longitudinal velocities of risk segments before and after embolization were compared by using paired t analysis. The regional myocardial video intensity versus contrast time could be fitted to an exponential function： y=A·（1-exp-β·t）, in which the product of A and β provides a measure of myocardial blood flow. RT-MCE showed that subendocardial normalized A·β was decreased markedly from 0.99±0.19 to 0.35±0.11 （P〈0.05） in 28 left ventricular （LV） myocardial segments after embolization, including 6 basal and 9 middle segments of lateral wall （LW）, 8 middle segments of posterior wall （PW） and 5 middle segments of inferior wall （IW）. However, there was no statistically significant difference in subepicardial layer before and after embolization. Accordingly, the ratio of A·β of subendocardial myocardium to subepicardial myocardium in these segments was significantly decreased from 1.10±0.10 to 0.31±0.07 （P〈0.05）. Although the systolic wall thickening did not change 5 min after the embolization in these ischemic segments （29%±3% vs 31%±5%, P〉0.05）, the longitudinal peak systolic velocities （Vs） and early-diastolic peak velocities （Ve） recorded by QTVI were declined significantly （P〈0.05）. Moreover, the subendocardial velocity curves during isovolumic relaxation predominantly showed positive waves, whereas they mainly showed negative waves before the embolization. This study demonstrates that QTVI can more sensitively and accurately detect abnormal regional myocardial function and post-systolic systole caused by acute subendocardial ischemia.

Left Ventricular Regional Systolic Function in Patient with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy by Quantitative Tissue Velocity Imaging

The left ventricular regional systolic functions in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy （HCM） were assessed by using quantitative tissue velocity imaging （QTVI）. Left ventricular （LV） regional myocardial velocity along long- and short-axis in 31 HCM patients and 20 healthy subjects were analyzed by QTVI, and the regional myocardial systolic peak velocities （MVS） were measured. Mean MVS at each level including mitral annular, basal, middle and apical segments were calculated. The ratio of MVS along long-axis to that along short-axis （Ri） at basal and middle segments of the LV posterior wall and ventricular septum were calculated. The results showed that mean MVS was slower at each level including mitral annular, basal, middle and apical segments in the HCM patients than that in the healthy subjects （P〈0.01）. There were no significant differences in mean MVS between obstructive and non-obstructive groups in HCM patients. MVS of all regional myocardial segments along long-axis in the HCM patients were significantly slower than that in the healthy subjects （P〈0.05）, but there was no significant difference in MVS of all regional myocardial segments along long-axis between hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied group in the HCM patients. Ri was significantly lower in the HCM patients than that in the healthy subjects. The LV regional myocardial contractility along long-axis was impaired not only in the hypertrophied wall but also in the non-hypertrophied one in patients with HCM, suggesting that QTVI can assess accurately LV regional systolic function in patient with HCM and provides a novel means for an early diagnosis before and independent of hypertrophy.

Assessment of Ascending Aortic Elasticity in Hypertension Patients by Quantitative Tissue Velocity Imaging

The elasticity of the ascending aorta in healthy volunteers and hypertension patients were examined by using quantitative tissue velocity imaging （QTVI）, and the age-related change in the as-cending aortic elasticity was investigated. The anterior and posterior walls of the ascending aorta were imaged with tissue Doppler method in all the subjects and QTVI was performed. Stable curves were obtained from 173 hypertension patients and 185 healthy adults. The peak early diastolic veloc-ity （Ve）, peak late diastolic velocity （Va） and peak systolic velocity （Vs） were measured. The relation of age with these measures was assessed. The results showed that the elasticity of the ascending aorta was much lower in the hypertension patients than in normal controls （P〈0.05）, and the elasticity was decreased with age in both groups （P〈0.05）. Our results suggested that QTVI, a new non-invasive ul-trasonic technique, is helpful for the assessment of the aortic elasticity in hypertension patients.

Changes of Left Ventricular Geometry Shape and Left Ventricular Regional Function in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy

To assess the left ventricle regional systolic and diastolic function, left ventricle geometry and left venticle sphericity indexes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy （DCM） by quantitative tissue velocity imaging （QTVI）. Methods Thirty normal subjects and 52 DCM patients underwent QTVI and colour Doppler flow imaging study in order to measure the left ventricular regional function along left ventricle apical long-axis view and the left ventricle geometry. Peak tissue velocities of left venticle regional muscular tissue during systole （ Vs）, systolic acceleration （ a）, early diastole（Ve） and left atrium contraction（Va） along left venticle apical long axis view were measured. The indexes of left ventricular regional systolic and diastolic function were mearsured at the same time. The left ventricle geometry shape was reflected from the systolic and diastolic sphericity index （Sis and Sid）, the left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） and D wave / A wave （PVd/PVa） of pulmonary veins flowing spectrum reflected the global left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. The Vs, Ve, Va, a, PVd/PVa ratio, LVEF, Sis, Sid and their correlations between normal subjects and patients with DCM were compared and analyzed. Results Vs, Ve, Va, a, PVd/PVa, Sis and Sid in patients with DCM were lower than those in normal persons. There were significant relations between Sis and a （ r = 0. 6142, P 〈 0. 05）, Ve/Va and Sid （ r = 0. 6271, P 〈 0. 05 ）. Conclusions QTVI offer a newer method which has a higher sensitivity and accuracy in evaluating the left venticle regional systolic and diastolic function in DCM patients. There was significant relation between regional cardiac function and left venticle sphericity. （ S Chin J Cardiol 2009; 10（1） ： 9 -14）