Left and right atrial myocardial deformation properties in patients with an atrial septal defect.
BACKGROUND
Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common form of congenital heart defect in adults, which affects all cardiac chambers. Atrial myocardial function in patients with ASD has not yet been clearly elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate atrial myocardial deformation properties in patients with ASDs.


METHODS
The study involved 24 patients with a secundum type ASD, and 22 healthy subjects. Color Doppler myocardial imaging was used to measure left and right atrial myocardial systolic strain and strain rate values, together with peak systolic velocity, early velocity, and late diastolic velocity.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to age, gender, body mass index, heart rate, blood pressure, left atrial diameter, and ventricular function. The peak systolic atrial myocardial strain and strain rate values in each of the atrial walls studied were lower in the ASD group compared to those of the control group, but the difference reached statistical significance only in the case of the right atrial wall (right atrial strain: 48.0 +/- 32.7% vs 100.2 +/- 46.6%, P = 0.006; right atrial strain rate: 2.6 +/- 1.2/sec vs 3.8 +/- 1.2/sec, P = 0.024).


CONCLUSIONS
The left to right cardiac shunt that results from ASD leads to a reduction in the right atrial myocardial longitudinal lengthening that occurs during ventricular ejection. These findings demonstrate that the reservoir function of the atrium is impaired and atrial stiffness increases in patients with ASDs.
Arat
Nurcan
N
Clinic of Cardiology, Ankara Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. aratnurcan@gmail.com
Sökmen
Yeliz
Y
Altay
Hakan
H
Ozcan
Firat
F
Ilkay
Erdoğan
E
D000328:Adult; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D016280:Atrial Function, Right / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D016276:Ventricular Function / Q000502:physiology