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Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Left ventricular hypertrophy screening using a hand-held ultrasound device
E C Vourvouri1, D Poldermans, A F L Schinkel
1Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Hand-held ultrasound devices show high accuracy in screening for left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients. This technology offers a reliable, portable method for early detection of this common cardiac condition.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Hypertension Management
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a significant complication of hypertension.
- Early detection of LVH is crucial for preventing cardiovascular events.
- Standard echocardiography, while accurate, requires specialized equipment and trained personnel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic capability of a portable, hand-held ultrasound device.
- To assess its effectiveness in screening for LVH in individuals with hypertension.
- To compare its performance against a standard echocardiographic system.
Main Methods:
- One hundred hypertensive patients were enrolled in the study.
- Measurements of left ventricular dimensions and wall thickness were taken using both hand-held and standard ultrasound devices.
- LVH was defined based on established criteria for left ventricular mass indexed to body surface area and height.
Main Results:
- The hand-held device visualized cardiac structures in all patients, comparable to the standard system.
- The agreement between the hand-held device and standard echocardiography for LVH detection was high (93% and 90%).
- The kappa values indicated substantial agreement (0.77 and 0.76) for both indexing methods.
Conclusions:
- Hand-held ultrasound devices are effective for screening left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
- This technology provides a promising, accessible tool for point-of-care diagnosis.
- Further integration of such devices can improve hypertension management and cardiovascular risk assessment.
Aims:
To test the diagnostic potential of a hand-held ultrasound device for screening for left ventricular hypertrophy in a hypertensive population using a standard echocardiographic system as a reference.
Methods:
One hundred consecutive hypertensive patients were enrolled. An experienced investigator performed measurements of the thickness of the anterior septum and posterior wall using the parasternal 2D-long axis view and the end-diastolic dimension of the left ventricle with both imaging devices. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as an increase in left ventricular mass > or = 134 g x m(-2) for men and > or = 110 g x m(-2) for women, when indexed for body surface area and > or = 143 g x m(-1) for men and > or = 102 g x m(-1) for women, when indexed for height.
Results:
Sixty-five men and 35 women were studied (age 60 +/- 11 years); mean duration of hypertension: 13 +/- 11 years; mean blood pressures: systolic 150 +/- 20 mmHg and diastolic 89 +/- 11 mmHg. The anterior septum and posterior wall were visualized in all patients with both imaging devices. The standard echocardiographic system identified left ventricular hypertrophy by body surface area in 18 (18%) patients and by height in 26 (26%) patients. The agreement between the standard echocardiographic system and the hand-held device for the assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy was 93%, kappa: 0.77 (left ventricular mass/body surface area) and 90%, kappa: 0.76 (left ventricular mass/height).
Conclusions:
We conclude that hand-held devices can be effectively applied for screening for left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
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