title: Tissue Doppler evaluation of tricuspid annulus for estimation of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with COPD.
abstract: Because transthoracic echocardiography is an inexpensive, easy, and reproducible method, it is the most commonly used noninvasive diagnostic tool to determine pulmonary artery pressure (PAP). Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) emerged as a new echocardiographic method that can be applied in various clinical conditions. In our study we aimed to evaluate the relationship between tricuspid lateral annulus TDI parameters and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) as estimated by continuous wave Doppler in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 51 (42 men, mean age: 62.3 +/- 8.2 years) patients with clinically stable COPD were included in the study. The tricuspid annular systolic myocardial velocity (Sm), velocity time integral of Sm (SmVTI), early (Em) and late (Am) peak diastolic myocardial velocities, and myocardial isovolumic relaxation time (IVRTm) were acquired as well as two-dimensional (2-D) and conventional Doppler data. When compared with values of patients without pulmonary hypertension (PHT), Sm, SmVTI, Em, and Em/Am values were found to be lower and IVRTm values higher in patients with PHT. When all the patients were analyzed, there was a significant negative correlation between PASP and Sm and SmVTI (r = -0.82, p < 0.001 and r = -0.84, p < 0.001, respectively). Sm velocity < or = 12 cm/s had a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 93.3% for predicting PASP > 40 mmHg. SmVTI < or = 2.5 cm had a sensitivity of 85.7% and a specificity of 90% for detecting PHT. In our study, there was significant negative correlation between tricuspid lateral annular Sm and SmVTI values and PASP in patients with stable COPD irrespective of the presence of PHT. Tricuspid annular Sm and SmVTI had very good level sensitivity and specificity for predicting PHT. In conclusion, it might be suggested that in cases where noninvasive PASP measurement is not possible, TDI can be used as an alternative and reliable method to assess PAP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkeye. mehmet_melek@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melek
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Esen
authors.forename: Ali Metin
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Esen
authors.forename: Irfan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barutcu
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fidan
authors.forename: Ersel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Onrat
authors.forename: Dayimi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology