Feasibility of color doppler tissue velocity imaging for assessment of regional timing of left ventricular longitudinal movement.
OBJECTIVE--The feasibility of color Doppler tissue velocity imaging (c-TVI) with a high time resolution of 10 ms for simultaneous measurement of the temporal characteristics of regional left ventricular (LV) tissue velocities at different LV sites was examined. Methods and results--In 20 subjects with structurally normal hearts, inter- and intraobserver agreement and the beat-to-beat variation were tested in c-TVI profiles from basal and mid-LV segments of the interventricular septum (IS) and of the lateral free wall (LFW). For peak tissue velocities a mean error of less than 1 cm/s was demonstrated. For systolic regional LV velocity time difference, the mean error was +/- 5 ms, with the best agreement when sampling from basal LV sites. For diastolic regional LV velocity time differences, the mean error was +/- 12 ms. The longitudinal LV movement pattern demonstrated a pattern of incremental tissue velocity from basal to mid-LV, and from IS to LFW sites. Conclusion--The c-TVI method has acceptable inter- and intraobserver agreement and is sufficiently accurate to disclose regional time aspects of LV contraction and relaxation.
Schuster
Peter
P
Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. peter.schuster@med.uib.no
Faerestrand
Svein
S
Ohm
Ole-Jørgen
OJ
Martens
Ditlef
D
Torkildsen
Rune
R
Øyehaug
Olve
O
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016276:Ventricular Function; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology