title: Differences in echocardiographic assessment with standard Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging of left ventricular filling pressure in idiopathic and ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In idiopathic and ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) there are differences in left atrial and ventricular relaxation. We assessed the hypothesis of an influence of these dissimilarities in assessing left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP) in these two DCMs by standard Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging. In particular, we focused on early transmitral flow to early diastolic motion velocity of mitral annulus ratio (E/Ea), useful to estimate normal or elevated LVFP. However, when found in intermediate range (8-15), its role is unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 26 patients with ischemic and 21 patients with idiopathic DCM. To validate the echocardiographic estimation of LVFP, a sample (12 patients) underwent LVFP assessment by catheterization. In idiopathic DCM, E/Ea directly related to duration of retrograde pulmonary venous flow (ARd) (r = 0.66 P = 0001). In ischemic DCM E/Ea inversely related only to systolic to diastolic velocity ratio of pulmonary venous flow (S/D) (r =-0.56 P = 0002). After a mean follow up of 6 months, by a second echocardiogram we observed a direct relation between E/Ea and ARd percentage variation (r = 0.52 P = 0.02) in idiopathic DCM group, whereas in the ischemic DCM group there was an inverse relation between E/Ea and S/D percentage variation (r =-0.59 P = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, ARd in idiopathic and S/D in ischemic DCM might be used as specific additional information to estimate LVFP when E/Ea falls within intermediate range.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular and Immunological Sciences, Federico II, University, Naples, Italy. pcostanz@alice.it
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prastaro
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perrino
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caiazzo
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiariello
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perrone-Filardi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011336:Probability; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*