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Left Atrial trajectory impairment in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy disclosed by Geometric Morphometrics and Parallel
Paolo Piras1,2, Concetta Torromeo2, Federica Re3
1Dipartimento di Ingegneria Strutturale e Geotecnica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy.
Insights
Left Atrial (LA) deformation analysis in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients reveals distinct trajectory patterns compared to healthy individuals. These findings offer new insights into HCM
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Analysis of full Left Atrium (LA) deformation and its temporal trajectory is under-investigated in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).
- Understanding LA function is crucial for managing cardiovascular conditions like HCM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and characterize the full Left Atrium (LA) deformation and deformational trajectory in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).
- To compare LA function between HCM patients and healthy controls using advanced imaging and analytical techniques.
Main Methods:
- Utilized three-dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography (3D STE) to assess LA deformation in 22 HCM patients and 46 healthy controls.
- Applied Geometric Morphometrics with Parallel Transport to analyze landmark clouds derived from 3D STE data.
- Evaluated trajectory shape and size for classification and diagnostic power.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in LA trajectory shape and size were observed between HCM patients and controls.
- The classification power for distinguishing between groups showed high Area Under the Receiving Operator Characteristic Curve (AUC) and accuracy.
- Distinct differences in LA trajectories were noted during the transition from conduit to booster pump functions.
Conclusions:
- Full shape and trajectory analysis of the Left Atrium (LA) provides a clear understanding of the pathophysiological impact of HCM on LA function.
- These advanced analytical techniques may reveal novel pathophysiological insights and improve the understanding of atrio-ventricular interaction in HCM.
Abstract:
The analysis of full Left Atrium (LA) deformation and whole LA deformational trajectory in time has been poorly investigated and, to the best of our knowledge, seldom discussed in patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Therefore, we considered 22 patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) and 46 healthy subjects, investigated them by three-dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography, and studied the derived landmark clouds via Geometric Morphometrics with Parallel Transport. Trajectory shape and trajectory size were different in Controls versus HCM and their classification powers had high AUC (Area Under the Receiving Operator Characteristic Curve) and accuracy. The two trajectories were much different at the transition between LA conduit and booster pump functions. Full shape and deformation analyses with trajectory analysis enabled a straightforward perception of pathophysiological consequences of HCM condition on LA functioning. It might be worthwhile to apply these techniques to look for novel pathophysiological approaches that may better define atrio-ventricular interaction.
