Doppler tissue imaging to assess systolic function in Chagas' disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the usefulness of Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) for evaluating the systolic function of chagasic patients with and without electrocardiographic abnormalities, in comparision with echocardiographic study.


METHODS
We studied 77 patients divided into 3 groups as follows: group 1 - control; group 2 - chagasic patients with normal electrocardiographic findings; and group 3 - chagasic patients with abnormal electrocardiographic findings. The following parameters were assessed: left ventricular dimensions and ejection fraction, left atrial dimensions and diastolic function on echocardiography. Systolic velocity and regional isovolumic contraction time (IVCTr) of the septal, anterior, lateral, posterior and inferior left ventricular walls were assessed on DTI.


RESULTS
Left ventricular cavitary dimensions, ejection fraction and DTI systolic wave showed significant differences between groups 1 and 3 and between groups 2 and 3, which were not found between groups 1 and 2. IVCTr allowed a statistically significant discrimination among the 3 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
DTI allowed discrimination among the different groups assessed, being superior to echocardiography in identifying early abnormalities of contractility, and, therefore, potentially useful for detecting incipient myocardial alterations in chagasic patients with normal electrocardiographic findings.
Barros
Márcio Vinícius Lins
MV
Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Clínicas Médica, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. ecoar@ecoar.com.br
Ribeiro
Antonio Luiz Pinho
AL
Machado
Fernando Santana
FS
Rocha
Manoel Otávio da Costa
MO
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology