Acoustic videodensitometric parameters correlate with abnormalities of left ventricular filling in hypertensive patients assessed via Doppler Tissue Imaging.
OBJECTIVE
Using a videodensitometric technique developed in our center we investigated whether the amplitude of variation of gray levels in the interventricular septum was related to functional parameters, especially ventricular filling as studied by doppler tissue imaging (DTI) in hypertensive patients.


RESULTS
We included 35 hypertensive patients from whom we recorded a two dimensional sequence of the left ventricle from the short axis parasternal view and a doppler tissue scan of the mitral ring. Two-dimensional sections were then analyzed with Iodp software to measure variations in levels of gray in the septum. We observed significant correlations between these variations and the velocity of the Ea wave on DTI of the lateral wall (r = 0.49, p < 0.002). On dividing this population into three sub-groups according to the Appleton classification of ventricular filling, we noted a tendency to a reduction in amplitude of variations of gray of the septum in cases with abnormalities of relaxation. This was even more marked in cases with a restrictive or pseudo-normal profile.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations point to the interest of sonographic videodensitometry in the evaluation of hypertensive cardiopathy. Further studies will be required to determine whether it can define the extent of the abnormalities of myocardial structure and the degree of fibrosis.
Coulon
Paul
P
Service de Cardiologie, Hopital Saint-André, 1 rue Jean Burguet, 33075 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
Lasserre
Raphael
R
Gosse
Philippe
P
D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods*; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014741:Video Recording