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Updated: Aug 13, 2025
Transthoracic Echocardiography in Mice
Published on: May 28, 2010
Left Atrial Velocity Vector Imaging Can Assess Early Diastolic Dysfunction in Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and
Se-Jung Yoon1, Sungha Park2, Eui-Young Choi3
1Division of Cardiology, National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
Insights
Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI) effectively assesses left atrial (LA) function, detecting early dysfunction even with normal LA size in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Assessing left atrial (LA) function is challenging due to its dynamic, ventricle-dependent movement.
- Early detection of LA dysfunction is crucial for managing cardiac conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI) for assessing LA function.
- To compare LA function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) against normal controls.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 14 HCMP patients, 15 LVH patients, and 10 controls.
- Echocardiographic LA images analyzed using VVI.
- Comparison of strain rate (SR) parameters among the three groups.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in e' velocity, E/e' ratio, and late diastolic SR at mid LA were observed among normal, LVH, and HCMP groups.
- LA function parameters (e' velocity, E/e', late diastolic SR) differed significantly between normal and LVH groups, despite similar LA size.
- Late diastolic peak SR of mid LA correlated significantly with diastolic function indices.
Conclusions:
- Strain rate (SR) analysis via VVI is a valuable tool for detailed LA function assessment.
- VVI can identify early LA dysfunction, even when LA size remains normal.
Background:
The function of left atrium (LA) is difficult to assess because of its ventricle-dependent, dynamic movement. The aim of this study was to assess LA function using velocity vector imaging (VVI) and compare LA function in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with normal controls.
Methods:
Fourteen patients with HCMP (72% male, mean age of 52.6 ± 9.8), 15 hypertensive patients with LVH (88% male, mean age of 54.0 ± 15.3), and 10 age-matched controls (83% male, mean age of 50.0 ± 4.6) were prospectively studied. Echocardiographic images of the LA were analyzed with VVI, and strain rate (SR) was compared among the 3 groups.
Results:
The e' velocity (7.7 ± 1.1; 5.1 ± 0.8; 4.5 ± 1.3 cm/sec, p = 0.013), E/e' (6.8 ± 1.6; 12.4 ± 3.3; 14.7 ± 4.2, p = 0.035), and late diastolic SR at mid LA (-1.65 ± 0.51; -0.97 ± 0.55; -0.82 ± 0.32, p = 0.002) were significantly different among the groups (normal; LVH; HCMP, respectively). The e' velocity, E/e', and late diastolic SR at mid LA were significantly different between normal and LVH (p = 0.001; 0.022; 0.018), whereas LA size was similar between normal and LVH (p = 0.592). The mean late diastolic peak SR of mid LA was significantly correlated with indices of diastolic function (E/e', e', and LA size).
Conclusions:
The SR is a useful tool for detailed evaluation of LA function, especially early dysfunction of LA in groups with normal LA size.
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