Tissue Doppler properties of the left atrial appendage in patients with mitral valve disease.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the left atrial appendage (LAA) tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) with the classical LAA function parameters in patients with mitral valve disease.


METHODS
Twenty patients who had pure mitral regurgitation (group 1), 20 patients who had pure rheumatic mitral stenosis (group 2), and 20 healthy patients (group 3) were included in this study. All the cases were sinus rhythm. In order to determine the LAA functions, LAA late filling (LAALF), and late emptying (LAALE) flow velocities and LAA fractional area change (LAAFAC) were measured. LAA tissue Doppler evaluations were obtained from the PW Doppler, which was placed on the LAA lateral wall in a transverse basal short-axis approach. LAA late systolic (LAALSW) and late diastolic (LAALDW) wave velocities were obtained from TDI records transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).


RESULTS
There were no significant differences among groups 1, 2, and 3 in terms of age, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, gender, and heart rate. No differences were observed between group 1 and the control group with respect to LAALE, LAALF, and LAAFAC. LAALE velocity and LAAFAC were significantly decreased in group 2 than group 1. LV diastolic diameter was significantly greater, whereas LAALSW and LAALDW velocities were significantly decreased in group 1 compared with group 3. There were no differences between groups 1 and 2 regarding to LAALSW and LAALDW velocities. LAALE, LAALF, LAALSW, LAALDW velocities, and LAAFAC were significantly decreased in group 2 than group 3.


CONCLUSIONS
The TDI method may detect the LAA systolic dysfunctions, which cannot be detected using classical methods, on tissue level in patients with mitral regurgitation. In addition, the deterioration of the LAA functions at tissue level in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis was also detected.
Gurlertop
Yekta
Y
Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. dryekta@atauni.edu.tr
Yilmaz
Mustafa
M
Acikel
Mahmut
M
Bozkurt
Engin
E
Erol
M Kemal
MK
Senocak
Huseyin
H
Alp
Necip
N
D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016275:Atrial Function / Q000502:physiology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology