Heterogeneity of regional systolic function detected by tissue Doppler imaging is linked to impaired global left ventricular relaxation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate regional and global left ventricular (LV) function and LV wall thickness (LVWT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).


METHODS
Observational study at the National Cardiovascular Centre and Nagoya University Hospital in Japan.


METHODS
Thirty-six patients with HCM and 16 patients with hypertensive LV hypertrophy (LVH).


METHODS
Conventional echocardiography and strain rate (SR) imaging derived from tissue Doppler imaging were performed. Systolic strain (epsilon(sys)), peak systolic SR (SR(sys)), peak early diastolic SR (SR(dia)) and LVWT were obtained from eight LV segments. LV pressure was simultaneously recorded with a high-fidelity micromanometer.


RESULTS
The regional epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) were correlated with LVWT in patients with HCM (r = 0.50, p<0.001 and r = 0.63, p<0.001, respectively) but not in patients with hypertensive LVH. The standard deviations of LVWT, epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) obtained from the eight LV segments of each subject were greater for patients with HCM than for patients with hypertensive LVH. The standard deviation of LVWT was correlated with those of epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) (r = 0.55, p<0.001 and r = 0.56, p<0.001, respectively). The standard deviations of LVWT, epsilon(sys) and SR(sys) were correlated with tau (r = 0.35, p<0.05; r = 0.47, p<0.001; and r = 0.39, p<0.005, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Heterogeneity of regional LV systolic function detected by SR imaging is in part attributable to heterogeneity of LVH and may be linked to impaired global LV relaxation in HCM.
Kato
T S
TS
Department of Cardiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Izawa
H
H
Komamura
K
K
Noda
A
A
Asano
H
H
Nagata
K
K
Hashimoto
S
S
Oda
N
N
Kamiya
C
C
Kanzaki
H
H
Hashimura
K
K
Ueda
H I
HI
Murohara
T
T
Kitakaze
M
M
Yokota
M
M
D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*