[Tei index evaluated by M-mode echocardiography in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy]

The Tei index obtained by the Doppler method is effective for analysis of global cardiac dysfunction. M-mode recordings of the aortic valve and mitral valve can also provide this index.

Forty-two patients with cardiomyopathy (idiopathic 15 and ischemic 27) with left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%, and 85 normal subjects were enrolled in the study. The M-mode Tei index (Tei-M) was obtained from the ejection time and closing period of the mitral valve in the same manner as the Tei index obtained by the Doppler method (Tei-D).

The values of Tei-D and Tei-M were closely correlated (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001). Using index > or = 0.45 as the cut off value, patients with cardiomyopathy were identified with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 78% by Tei-D, and 67% and 73% by Tei-M, respectively. In patients with mitral B-bump on M-mode echogram (n = 10), there was no mitral inflow during B-bump. Thus, Tei-M was smaller than Tei-D in these patients. Using the new criteria of Tei-M > or = 0.45 and presence of B-bump, patients with cardiomyopathy were identified with a sensitivity of 86% and specificity 73% by Tei-M which were comparable with Tei-D.

The Tei-M is a simple and effective index for the analysis of cardiac dysfunction in patients with cardiomyopathy.