title: Apical tissue tracking echocardiography for characterization of regional left ventricular function: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging in patients after myocardial infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to characterize the normal pattern of apical tracking and to investigate whether tissue tracking imaging is more useful for evaluation of regional left-ventricular function than noncontrast harmonic echocardiography in patients after myocardial infarction.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Left ventricular longitudinal shortening plays an important role in cardiac contraction, and can be evaluated online by a new Doppler tissue imaging method.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 40 healthy participants and 40 patients after myocardial infarction. They underwent tissue tracking imaging and noncontrast harmonic imaging by an experienced and an inexperienced observer. Diagnostic accuracy of semiquantitative evaluation of left ventricular function was compared using magnetic resonance imaging as reference method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Velocity-time integrals decreased from basal to apical segments in healthy participants. Tissue tracking imaging has a higher diagnostic sensitivity than noncontrast imaging for the diagnosis of regional wall-motion abnormalities (expert, 78% vs 97%, P <.01; beginner, 63% vs 91%, P <.001), whereas specificity remained unchanged (expert, 99% vs 97%, not significant; beginner, 91% vs 92%, not significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tissue tracking imaging is feasible and evaluates regional systolic myocardial function quantitatively with high diagnostic accuracy compared with magnetic resonance imaging in patients after myocardial infarction, and is more accurate than noncontrast harmonic echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Charité Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany. adrian.borges@charite.de
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kivelitz
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Walde
authors.forename: Rona K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Reibis
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grohmann
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panda
authors.forename: Klaus-Dieter
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wernecke
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rutsch
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baumann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D018476:Hypokinesia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*