Feasibility of bidimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography for strain analysis in consecutive patients in daily clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to analyze the feasibility of two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in evaluating myocardial strain in consecutive, nonselected patients in daily clinical practice.


METHODS
Strain analysis using 2DSTE was attempted in 59 consecutive patients: 24 patients with severe aortic stenosis, 28 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and 7 healthy controls. The analysis was done by four expert echocardiographers and one cardiology resident.


RESULTS
It was possible to obtain reliable data for radial strain in 175 of 354 segments (49%), circumferential strain in 192 of 354 segments (54%), and longitudinal strain in 319 of 354 segments (90%). Experienced echocardiographers felt assessment of radial and circumferential strain was appropriate in more segments than did the cardiology resident (57% and 58% vs. 23% and 40%, respectively, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Longitudinal strain analysis with 2DSTE is feasible in most segments, but the radial and circumferential strain evaluation was only feasible in approximately half of the patients.
Cardiology Department, Reina Sofía University Hospital, Córdoba, Spain. Lnavf22@gmail.com
Elena
E
Villanueva-Fernández
Martin
M
Ruiz-Ortiz
Dolores
D
Mesa-Rubio
Mónica-Delgado
MD
Ortega
Elias
E
Romo-Peñas
Francisco
F
Toledano-Delgado
José
J
López-Aguilera
Laura
L
Cejudo-Diaz del Campo
José
J
Suárez de Lezo-Cruz Conde
D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity