Left ventricular dispersion as a parameter for augmented left ventricular stroke volume in patients with atrial...

The closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) results in normalized left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) geometry, and can increase LV stroke volume (LVSV), but the parameters associated with this increase after the closure of ASD remain uncertain.

Seventy ASD patients, who underwent transcatheter closure, were studied. Their mean age was 57.80 ± 16.88 years, 42 (60%) were female, and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was 66.76% ± 7.91% (all ≥55%). Transthoracic echocardiography was performed before and 3 months after the procedure. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was determined as the average peak speckle tracking strain of 18 segments from the 3 standard apical views, LV dispersion was defined as standard deviation of time-to-peak strain from the same views, and RV systolic function was calculated by averaging the 3-regional peak speckle tracking longitudinal strains from the RV free wall. A significant relative increase in LVSV between before and 3 months after the closure was defined as ∆LVSV ≥15%. Twenty age-, gender-, and LVEF-matched controls served as the control group.

Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and RV free wall strain were similar for ASD patients and controls, but LV dispersion in ASD patients was significantly larger. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) remained unchanged after transcatheter closure, whereas RV free wall strain and LV dispersion decreased significantly. An important finding of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ∆LV dispersion was the only independent determinant of increased LVSV after the closure (OR 1.023; 95% CI 1.001-1.046; P < .01).

The assessment of LV dispersion may well have clinical implications for better management of ASD patients after transcatheter closure.