Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiographic evaluation of the longitudinal deformation of the left ventricular myocardium in patients with severe coronary artery tortuosity.

Abstract

Coronary artery tortuosity (CAT) is an anatomical condition in which epicardial coronary arteries have abnormal curves or spiral courses. Although correlated with higher rates of positive stress test, its effects on the myocardial function remain to be clearly defined. We included in this cross-sectional study and evaluated with 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography 40 consecutive patients admitted to our hospital for selective coronary angiography which showed severe CAT without significant epicardial coronary artery stenosis, and 40 consecutive subjects matched for age, hypertension, and diabetes in whom selective coronary angiography showed neither CAT nor significant epicardial coronary artery stenosis. Systolic strain, strain rate, and early and late diastolic strain rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups, even after adjustment for potential confounding variables. The 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography-derived indices of longitudinal deformation of the left ventricular myocardium were not significantly different between the patients with severe CAT and controls.