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Left ventricular regional systolic function in patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by quantitative tissue
Xiulan Li1, Youbin Deng, Haoyi Yang
1Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Insights
Quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI) reveals impaired left ventricular (LV) systolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. This method accurately assesses LV regional systolic function, aiding early diagnosis independent of hypertrophy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a complex cardiac condition affecting left ventricular (LV) function.
- Assessing regional systolic function in HCM is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Traditional methods may not fully capture subtle functional impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI) in assessing LV regional systolic function in HCM patients.
- To compare QTVI-derived parameters between HCM patients and healthy controls.
- To determine if QTVI can detect functional changes independent of myocardial hypertrophy.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI) was used to analyze LV regional myocardial velocity in 31 HCM patients and 20 healthy subjects.
- Myocardial systolic peak velocities (MVS) were measured along long- and short-axes at various LV segments.
- The ratio of MVS along long-axis to short-axis (Ri) was calculated for specific segments.
Main Results:
- HCM patients exhibited significantly slower mean MVS across all LV levels compared to healthy subjects (P < 0.01).
- Long-axis MVS was significantly reduced in HCM patients (P < 0.05), irrespective of hypertrophy.
- A significantly lower Ri was observed in HCM patients, indicating impaired long-axis contractility in both hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied regions.
Conclusions:
- QTVI accurately assesses LV regional systolic function in HCM patients.
- QTVI provides a novel means for early HCM diagnosis, detecting functional impairment before or independent of hypertrophy.
- Impaired long-axis contractility is a characteristic feature of HCM, detectable by QTVI.
Abstract:
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.
