title: Assessment of regional left ventricular filling dynamics using color kinesis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Using color kinesis, we evaluated regional left ventricular filling dynamics in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
  
  
  METHODS
  In all, 20 patients (14 men and 6 women) and 20 age-matched healthy control subjects (10 men and 10 women) were studied. From color kinesis diastolic images in a left ventricular short-axis view, we generated regional time curves (6 segments) of left ventricular filling. The percent filling fraction at 25%, 50%, and 75% of filling time was averaged for all segments in each patient, and the SD of its mean was used as an asynchrony index at each particular filling time. The mean filling time for each segment was also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The asynchrony index was increased significantly in mid (50%) to late (75%) diastole in patients with HCM as compared with control subjects. Patients with HCM had regional mean filling times prolonged even in the nonhypertrophic segments. Moreover, there was significant correlation between the asynchrony index at mid and late diastole, and the global mean filling time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Color kinesis is useful in evaluating regional filling dynamics in patients with HCM. Our data reinforce the notion that HCM is a functionally heterogeneous disorder.
authors.affiliation: Third Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Osaka Medical College, 2-7 Daigaku-cho, Takatsuki City, Osaka 569-8686, Japan. in3016@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Michihiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suwa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitaura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003971:Diastole; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*