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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Impaired left ventricular transmural strain gradient linked to septal flash in complete left bundle branch block
Jie Xiao1,2, Hongda Su1,2, Wanqing Hou1,2
1Department of Ultrasound, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, China.
Scientific Reports
|July 21, 2026
Summary
Patients with complete left bundle branch block and septal flash show impaired left ventricular transmural contractile gradient. Septal flash duration correlates with this impairment, suggesting potential predictive value.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Complete left bundle branch block (CLBBB) affects cardiac mechanics.
- Septal flash (SF) is a phenomenon observed in some CLBBB patients.
- Understanding left ventricular (LV) contractile function in CLBBB is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate LV transmural contractile gradient alterations in CLBBB patients.
- To assess the correlation between septal flash parameters and LV strain.
- To evaluate the relationship between SF and the transmural gradient (TG) in CLBBB.
Main Methods:
- Layer-specific speckle-tracking imaging (LS-STI) was used in 116 CLBBB patients and 40 controls.
- Global longitudinal systolic peak strain (GLS) and layer-specific strains (GLS-Endo, GLS-Mid, GLS-Epi) were measured.
- Transmural gradient (TG) was calculated; correlations with SF amplitude and duration were analyzed using Spearman analysis.
Main Results:
- CLBBB patients with SF exhibited significantly lower GLS in all LV layers and a reduced TG compared to those without SF (P < 0.05).
- TG was negatively correlated with SF amplitude (r = -0.25, P = 0.027) and SF duration (r = -0.47, P < 0.001).
- In CLBBB patients with SF, the LV transmural contractile gradient was more severely impaired.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates impaired LV transmural contractile gradient in CLBBB patients with SF.
- SF duration shows a moderate correlation with layer-specific strain and TG.
- The independent predictive value of SF parameters requires further validation.
Keywords:
Complete left bundle branch blockLayer-specific strainSeptal flashSystolic functionTransmural gradientMore Related Videos
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