title: Assessment of regional myocardial function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy by velocity vector imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the left ventricular (LV) longitudinal systolic and diastolic function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by syngo Velocity Vector Imaging (VVI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Digital dynamic images of 30 DCM patients and 30 healthy subjects were collected; then the longitudinal velocity, strain, and strain rate were measured in systolic early and late diastolic periods, and the time to peak systolic velocity, strain, and strain rate were measured and recorded. The parameters of the two groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of the parameters of the DCM were significantly lower than those of the normal group (P < 0.05-0.01), except that the parameter of late diastolic strain was not different between the two groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VVI is a novel noninvasive tool to assess quantitatively and objectively LV regional systolic and diastolic function in patients with DCM; it provides another useful modality for evaluating cardiac function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Qi-chang
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qing-hai
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Dan-min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Lei-qi
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ao
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D002306:Cardiac Volume; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014672:Vectorcardiography / Q000379:methods*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology