title: Preliminary clinical study of left ventricular myocardial strain in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy by three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common cardiomyopathy worldwide, with significant mortality. Correct evaluation of the patient's myocardial function has important clinical significance in the diagnosis, therapeutic effect assessment and prognosis in non-ischemic DCM patients. This study evaluated the feasibility of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STE) for assessment of the left ventricular myocardial strain in patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Apical full-volume images were acquired from 65 patients with non-ischemic DCM (DCM group) and 59 age-matched normal controls (NC group), respectively. The following parameters were measured by 3D-STE: the peak systolic radial strain (RS), circumferential strain (CS), longitudinal strain (LS) of each segment. Then all the parameters were compared between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The peak systolic strain in different planes had certain regularities in normal groups, radial strain (RS) was the largest in the mid region, the smallest in the apical region, while circumferential strain (CS) and longitudinal strain (LS) increased from the basal to the apical region. In contrast, the regularity could not be applied to the DCM group. RS, CS, LS were significantly decreased in DCM group as compared with NC group (P < 0.001 for all). The interobserver, intraobserver and test-retest reliability were acceptable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  3D-STE is a reliable tool for evaluation of left ventricular myocardial strain in patients with non-ischemic DCM, with huge advantage in clinical application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fengxia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Mingxing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xinfang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuman
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013599:Systole; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology