Early diastolic peak velocity of left ventricular wall segment lying in isovolumic relaxation period as determined by tissue Doppler imaging.
BACKGROUND
The early diastolic peak velocity of left ventricular (LV) wall segment has always been regarded as appearing in the rapid filling phase. However, we find some segments of which early diastolic peak velocities appear in the isovolumic relaxation period (PVIVR segments). The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of PVIVR segments.


METHODS
Tissue Doppler imaging was performed in each of the 16 segments of LV wall in 99 patients with known or suspected coronary heart disease and 50 normal subjects. Early diastolic velocity pattern was classified as PVIVR, post-systolic shortening (PSS) and normal pattern.


RESULTS
The multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the significant echocardiographic predictors of the presence of PVIVR in a patient were transmitral E/A ratio and isovolumic relaxation time. Segmental early diastolic velocity pattern was significantly associated with actual coronary stenosis, relative coronary stenosis and wall motion score. PVIVR segments had a lower early diastolic peak velocity than other segments.


CONCLUSIONS
PVIVR segments more frequently appear in the territory with the relatively mildest coronary stenosis, whereas PSS segments more frequently appear in the territory with the relatively most severe coronary stenosis. Patients with PVIVR have lower global LV diastolic function. A decreased early diastolic peak velocity of PVIVR segments does not necessarily mean impaired myocardial relaxation.
Zhang
Haibin
H
Department of Ultrasound, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, PR China.
Qian
Yunqiu
Y
Li
Hongling
H
Song
Yan
Y
Zhou
Xiaodong
X
Zhu
Ting
T
Zhu
Yongsheng
Y
Tian
Xinqiao
X
Zhang
Jun
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003971:Diastole; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left