title: [Contribution of doppler imaging of the myocardium to the study of cardiomyopathies].
abstract: Colour Doppler imaging (CDI) is a recent method of evaluation of cardiomyopathy based on intra-myocardial abnormalities. CDI provides quantitative assessment of myocardial wall motion both circumferential by studying the movements of the myocardium and longitudinal by studying the movements of the mitral annulus. The harmonious decrease in velocity between the endocardium and epicardium disappears in pathological conditions, showing disorganisation of wall motion within the myocardium. The decrease in the early diastolic transmural velocity gradient in patients with cardiomyopathy indicates diastolic dysfunction independent of the left ventricular systolic function. In addition, CDI is more sensitive than conventional Doppler echocardiography with grey scale because it enables earlier detection of changes induced by low-dose dobutamine, allowing distinction between trained athletes and patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The velocities of the mitral annulus help to prevent errors of interpretation of mitral blood flow as they are relatively independent on the left ventricular preload.
authors.affiliation: Service de cardiologie, CHU de Bicêtre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pellerin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dubourg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coisne
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Extramiana
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Witchitz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Veyrat
mesh_terms: D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology