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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Left ventricular systolic synchrony in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with normal QRS wave
1Department of Cardiovasology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China.
Insights
Left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony (LV-SD) is present in dilated cardiomyopathy patients with normal QRS width. This dyssynchrony worsens systolic function and is linked to remodeling and mitral regurgitation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Heart Failure Research
Background:
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with chronic heart failure (CHF) often involves complex cardiac dysfunction.
- Assessing left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony (LV-SD) is crucial for understanding disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate LV-SD distribution in DCM patients with CHF and normal QRS width using pulsed-wave Doppler tissue imaging (PW-DTI).
- To investigate the relationship between LV-SD and left ventricular systolic function, remodeling, and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR).
Main Methods:
- Pulsed-wave Doppler tissue imaging (PW-DTI) was used to measure the time to peak systolic velocity (Ts) in 12 left ventricular segments.
- Calculated standard deviation of Ts (Ts-SD) and maximum Ts difference (Ts-maxD) to quantify LV-SD.
Main Results:
- DCM patients with CHF exhibited significantly higher Ts-SD and Ts-maxD compared to healthy controls.
- LV-SD was identified in 29.8% of DCM patients with normal QRS width, with the inferior wall most affected.
- LV-SD correlated negatively with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and positively with left ventricular volumes, NYHA class, and FMR.
Conclusions:
- LV-SD is a significant finding in DCM patients even with normal QRS width.
- LV-SD exacerbates left ventricular systolic dysfunction and is associated with cardiac remodeling.
- LV-SD may play a role in the development of FMR in DCM.
Objective:
To evaluate the distribution characteristics of left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony (LV-SD) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and normal QRS wave width, by pulsed-wave Doppler tissue imaging (PW-DTI), and study its relation with left ventricular systolic function, ventricular remodeling, and functional mitral regurgitation (FMR).
Methods:
The time to peak systolic velocity (Ts) in 12 left ventricular segments was evaluated by PW-DTI, from which the standard deviation (SD) of Ts in the 12 segments (Ts-SD) and maximum Ts difference (Ts-maxD) were calculated.
Results:
Ts-SD and Ts-maxD in the 12 LV segments of the DCM patients with CHF were significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (P<0.01). In DCM patients with CHF and normal QRS wave width, the incidence of LV-SD was 29.8% (14/47) and the inferior wall was the most frequent distribution site of contraction delay. Linear regression analysis revealed a negative correlation between Ts-SD, Ts-maxD, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P<0.01), but a positive correlation between Ts-SD, Ts-maxD and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), lefe ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function, FMR (P<0.01) in DCM patients with CHF.
Conclusion:
LV-SD exists in DCM patients with normal QRS width. LV-SD aggravates the LV systolic function damage, which is closely associated with left ventricular remodeling. LV-SD may contribute to the FMR in DCM patients.
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