Left ventricular longitudinal relaxation velocity: a sensitive index of diastolic function.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to evaluate maximal longitudinal relaxation velocity of the left ventricle as an index of diastolic function.


METHODS
Sixty-four consecutive patients with known or suspected heart failure, referred to echocardiography, were investigated by M-mode recordings and pulsed tissue Doppler recordings of the maximal early diastolic velocity of the mitral annulus. The classification as true positive or true negative cases was done using age-related reference values of mitral inflow and pulmonary vein flow.


RESULTS
A rather high sensitivity of 89% was found for M-mode recordings and a slightly lower sensitivity of 81% for pulsed tissue Doppler recordings. A moderate high specificity was found: 81% for M-mode recordings and 78% for tissue Doppler recordings. The velocities recorded by pulsed tissue Doppler were about 30% higher than velocities recorded by M-mode.


CONCLUSIONS
Maximal relaxation velocity in the long axis of the left ventricle, recorded by either M-mode or tissue Doppler, can be used for assessment of diastolic function but reference values cannot be used interchangeably.
Fornander
Ylva
Y
Department of Internal Medicine, Borås Hospital, Sweden.
Nilsson
Bo
B
Egerlid
Rigmor
R
Wandt
Birger
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology