Evaluation the global and regional myocardial function of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

Abstract

Two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI)can accurately evaluate myocardial strain with non-angle dependent and good reproducibility. In this study, 16 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), 18 athletes and 20 normal subjects underwent 2D-STI examination. The global longitudinal strain (GLS) and regional peak systolic strain (PSS) were assessed by 2D-STI in the apical four-chamber-view. Compared to athletes and normal subjects, GLS in patients with HCM was significantly reduced [GLS: -(8. 0±3.6)% , P ＜ 0. 01]. There was no significant difference in GLS between athletes and the controls, but GLS in basal or middle segments of interventricular septum and middle segments of lateral wall; PSS in basal, middle or apical segments of interventricular septum and basal or middle segments of lateral wall of the normal controls were significantly higher than those of the athletes. A cut-off value of less than -10% in GLS for diagnosis of pathologic hypertrophy resulted in a sensitivity of 84. 0% and a specificity of 94. 0%. The results suggest that 2D-STI can quantify global and regional myocardial function and may be used for the differentiation between physiological and pathologic LVH. Key words: Echocardiography; Cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic