Left ventricular hypertrophy screening using a hand-held ultrasound device.
OBJECTIVE
To test the diagnostic potential of a hand-held ultrasound device for screening for left ventricular hypertrophy in a hypertensive population using a standard echocardiographic system as a reference.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive hypertensive patients were enrolled. An experienced investigator performed measurements of the thickness of the anterior septum and posterior wall using the parasternal 2D-long axis view and the end-diastolic dimension of the left ventricle with both imaging devices. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as an increase in left ventricular mass > or = 134 g x m(-2) for men and > or = 110 g x m(-2) for women, when indexed for body surface area and > or = 143 g x m(-1) for men and > or = 102 g x m(-1) for women, when indexed for height.


RESULTS
Sixty-five men and 35 women were studied (age 60 +/- 11 years); mean duration of hypertension: 13 +/- 11 years; mean blood pressures: systolic 150 +/- 20 mmHg and diastolic 89 +/- 11 mmHg. The anterior septum and posterior wall were visualized in all patients with both imaging devices. The standard echocardiographic system identified left ventricular hypertrophy by body surface area in 18 (18%) patients and by height in 26 (26%) patients. The agreement between the standard echocardiographic system and the hand-held device for the assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy was 93%, kappa: 0.77 (left ventricular mass/body surface area) and 90%, kappa: 0.76 (left ventricular mass/height).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that hand-held devices can be effectively applied for screening for left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
Vourvouri
E C
EC
Department of Cardiology, Thoraxcentre, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Poldermans
D
D
Schinkel
A F L
AF
Koroleva
L Y
LY
Sozzi
F B
FB
Parharidis
G E
GE
Bax
J J
JJ
Roelandt
J R T C
JR
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*