Abstract 4691: Endomyocardial Dysfunction in Patients with Severe Aortic Regurgitation and Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Speckle Tracking Echocardiographic Study

Abstract

Potential myocardial dysfunction may be present in patients with significant aortic regurgitation (AR) and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Newly developed software for speckle tracking imaging (STI) allows separate analysis of endo- and epimyocardial strain. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between endo- and epimyocardial radial strain (RS) distribution and AR severity in identifying the potential myocardial dysfunction in patients with significant AR and LVEF>50%, and its correlation with postoperative LV function. We studied 47 patients with AR and 26 control subjects. Degree of AR was classified according to standard echocardiographic criteria as moderate in 16 and severe in 23 patients. STI was analyzed with the new software (Toshiba Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan). For STI analysis, an endocardial and epicardial border line were each manually traced at end-systole on a short-axis B-mode image at the mid-ventricular level; peak RS of total, endomyocardium, and epicardium were automatically calculated. Endomyocardial RS was reduced in patients with severe AR compared to control subjects and patients with moderate AR (Figure ). Postoperative changes in LVEF were well correlated with the ratio of baseline endomyocardial RS to epimyocardial RS (n=21, r=−0.69, p<0.001). Endomyocardial RS was reduced in patients with severe AR. Assessment of STI-derived RS distribution may be useful to identify potential myocardial dysfunction and postoperative LV functional deterioration in patients with severe AR and preserved EF.