Decreased left atrial strain parameters are associated with prolonged total atrial conduction time in lichen planus

Lichen planus (LP) carries the increased risk of cardiovascular events as it is a chronic inflammatory disease. This study aimed at determining the relationship between total atrial conduction time (TACT), P-wave dispersion, and the left atrium (LA) global strain in the patients with LP.

Forty people as a control group and 40 patients with LP were included in this study. Patient assessed global longitudinal LA strain by two-dimensional speckle-tracking strain echocardiography.

The global peak systolic LA myocardium strain during the left ventricular systole (LAGLSRs) and the global peak negative LA myocardial strain rate during the early ventricular diastole (LAGLSRe) values were significantly lower in the patients with LP in proportion to the control group according to the strain measurements (1.7 ± 0.07 vs. 1.9 ± 0.1%, p = 0.001; 1.23 ± 0.04 vs. 1.2 ± 0.08 s^-1, p = 0.001), respectively. TACT value was found to be significantly longer (102.6 ± 6.3 ms) in the patients with LP than the control group (96.3 ± 5.3 ms, p = 0.001), considering the terms of the artial conduction features.

This study demonstrated that the subclinical cardiac involvement in LP can determine the prolonged TACT and the impaired left atrial myocardial deformation values.