title: Investigation of the atrial electromechanical delay duration in Behcet patients by tissue Doppler echocardiography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the atrial electromechanical delay (EMD) duration that is a non-invasive predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with Behcet's disease (BD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight Behcet's patients (24 females, 14 males; mean age: 43.6 ± 10.3 years) who were being followed in the dermatology or internal medicine department and 29 demographically matched controls (13 females, 16 males; mean: age 42.6 ± 11.1 years) were included in the study. The inclusion criteria were recurrent oral ulcerations and two of the following features: recurrent genital ulceration, eye lesions, skin lesions or positive pathergy skin test for Behcet's group. Using tissue Doppler imaging, atrial electromechanical coupling [time interval from the onset of P wave on surface electrocardiogram to the beginning of A wave interval with tissue Doppler echocardiography (PA)] were measured from the lateral mitral annulus (PA lateral), septal mitral annulus (PA septum), and right ventricular tricuspid annulus (PA tricuspid). The mean disease duration was 10.5 ± 7.7 years. The inter-atrial and intra-atrial EMD were significantly higher in the Behcet group than those in the controls (19.8 ± 8.2 vs. 13.1 ± 4.4 ms, P = 0.001; 11.5 ± 7.4 vs. 6.9 ± 3.7 ms, P = 0.02; respectively). The left atrial EMD was similar in both of the groups. However, the P(max) and PWD values were significantly higher in the BD group compared with those in the controls (120.5 ± 10.1 vs. 112.1 ± 5.9 ms, P < 0.0001; 44.9 ± 10.7 vs. 28.4 ± 5.9 ms, P < 0.0001; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Atrial electromechanical conduction times were increased in the BD patients compared with those in the controls. The tendency of BD patients to go into AF can be easily and non-invasively detected using tissue Doppler echocardiography. These findings may be indicators for subclinical cardiac involvement.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, School of Medicine, Karaelmas Universitesi Tıp Fakultesi, Kardiyoloji Bolumu, Zonguldak, Turkey. turgutkarabag@yahoo.com
authors: Turgut
authors: T
authors: Karabag
authors: Mustafa
authors: M
authors: Aydin
authors: Sait M
authors: SM
authors: Dogan
authors: Rafet
authors: R
authors: Koca
authors: Cagatay
authors: C
authors: Buyukuysal
authors: Muhammet R
authors: MR
authors: Sayin
authors: Nesimi
authors: N
authors: Yavuz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged