Color M-mode echocardiography is more reproducible than conventional M-mode echocardiography for septal-to-posterior wall motion delay measurements.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the reproducibility of conventional gray-scale M-mode to color Doppler M-mode assessment of the septal-to-posterior wall motion delay (SPWMD) which is used as a marker of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony.


METHODS
Forty-two SPWMD datasets were interpreted by two experienced cardiologists and the inter- and intraobserver correlation coefficients were determined. Subgroup analysis was performed on patients with severe septal wall motion abnormalities.


RESULTS
The correlation coefficients were significantly higher in color Doppler M-mode versus traditional M-mode in all subgroups analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings indicate that the color Doppler technique is more reproducible than conventional gray-scale M-mode technique to assess SPWMD. These findings suggest that the color Doppler M-mode may be a superior marker of the SPWMD measurement and predictor of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after cardiac resynchronization therapy.
Sorrell
Vincent L
VL
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Sarver Heart Center, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA. vsorrell@email.arizona.edu
Ross
William D
WD
Gregoire
Jeff
J
Ata
Imran
I
D000368:Aged; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*