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Doppler evaluation of left ventricular diastolic filling in Behçet's disease
B Komsuoglu1, O Göldeli, K Kulan
1Department of Cardiology, Black Sea Technical University Medical School, Trabzon, Turkey.
Insights
Behçet
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Rheumatology
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Behçet's disease can affect the heart, but left ventricular diastolic function is understudied.
- Clinical cardiac manifestations are not always present in Behçet's disease patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction in Behçet's disease patients without clinical cardiac symptoms.
- To determine the prevalence of cardiac involvement using Doppler echocardiography.
Main Methods:
- Studied 22 Behçet's disease patients and 20 healthy controls.
- Utilized clinical examination, electrocardiography, and echocardiography (M-mode, 2D, Doppler).
Main Results:
- Five patients showed diastolic dysfunction, including prolonged isovolumic relaxation time and altered E/A ratio.
- Doppler echocardiography revealed diastolic filling abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- Left ventricular dysfunction is common in Behçet's disease, even without apparent cardiac symptoms.
- Doppler echocardiography is a valuable tool for early detection of cardiac involvement in Behçet's disease.
Abstract:
Although cardiac involvement such as pericarditis, myocarditis, coronary arteritis and valvular disease in Behçet's disease occurs, few studies have assessed left ventricular diastolic function. This study assesses the prevalence of both systolic and diastolic left ventricular dysfunction in patients with Behçet's disease who have no clinical cardiac manifestations. Twenty-two patients (12 women and 10 men, mean age 34 +/- 2.4 years) underwent full clinical examination, electrocardiography, M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography. The mean disease duration was 5 +/- 4.7 years (range, 1 month-16 years). As age and sex-matched control group of 20 healthy subjects was also studied. Prolonged isovolumic relaxation time, prolonged deceleration time, reversal of the early and late peak transmitral diastolic flow velocities, late peak transmitral diastolic flow velocities (E/A ratio) and increased atrial filling fraction were noted in five patients. It is concluded that left ventricular dysfunction occurs frequently in patients with Behçet's disease and Doppler echocardiography may be valuable in detecting diastolic filling abnormalities as an early sign of cardiac involvement.