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Left ventricular long-axis function is reduced in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis
Necla Ozer1, Ilknur Can, Enver Atalar
1Department of Cardiology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. neclaozer@hotmail.com
Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|February 14, 2004
Summary
Patients with mitral stenosis show impaired left ventricular long-axis function, detected by M-mode and tissue Doppler echocardiography, even with normal global systolic function. This highlights subtle cardiac changes in mitral stenosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Cardiac Physiology
Background:
- Left ventricular long-axis function is a key indicator of systolic function.
- Previous studies established M-mode and tissue Doppler echocardiography as valuable tools for assessing this function.
- However, its specific evaluation in patients with mitral stenosis, particularly those with preserved global function, remained underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and quantify left ventricular long-axis function in patients with pure mitral stenosis.
- To compare these measurements with those of healthy controls.
- To determine if mitral stenosis affects long-axis function independently of global systolic function.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic assessment of 52 patients with pure mitral stenosis and 22 healthy controls.
- Evaluation of left ventricular long-axis function using M-mode echocardiography (annular motion) and tissue Doppler echocardiography (annular systolic velocity).
- Global systolic function was assessed by left ventricular fractional shortening.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in global systolic function (left ventricular fractional shortening) was observed between patients and controls.
- Patients with mitral stenosis exhibited significantly reduced M-mode derived systolic motion of both septal and lateral mitral annulus compared to controls.
- Tissue Doppler-derived systolic velocities of the septal and lateral mitral annulus were also significantly lower in patients with mitral stenosis than in controls.
- A significant correlation was found between septal annular motion, annular velocity, and left atrial ejection fraction.
Conclusions:
- Patients with pure mitral stenosis demonstrate significantly impaired left ventricular long-axis function.
- This impairment is detectable by both M-mode and tissue Doppler echocardiography.
- These findings suggest that long-axis dysfunction is present in mitral stenosis, even when global systolic function appears normal.