Differences of lateral and septal mitral annulus velocity by tissue Doppler imaging in the evaluation of left...

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) was investigated in 276 outpatients at a university cardiology practice by tissue Doppler imaging of mitral valve annular velocity. The well-investigated parameters of mitral inflow were used as the standard. Using septal E/Ea ratios, 62 patients (22%) had no LVDD, 44 patients (16%) had mild LVDD, 126 patients (46%) had moderate LVDD, 25 patients (9%) had severe LVDD, and 19 patients (7%) had indeterminate LVDD. Using lateral E/Ea ratios, 131 patients (48%) had no LVDD, 40 patients (14%) had mild LVDD, 62 patients (22%) had moderate LVDD, 9 patients (3%) had severe LVDD, and 12 patients (13%) had indeterminate LVDD. In conclusion, the use of septal tissue Doppler imaging tends to overestimate the severity of LVDD compared with the use of lateral tissue Doppler imaging.