title: Biventricular mechanics in constrictive pericarditis comparison with restrictive cardiomyopathy and impact of pericardiectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to compare myocardial mechanics of constrictive pericarditis (CP) with restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), or healthy controls; to assess the impact of pericardial thickening detected by cardiac magnetic resonance on regional myocardial mechanics in CP; and to quantitate the effect of pericardiectomy on myocardial mechanics in CP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myocardial mechanics were evaluated by 2-dimensional speckle tracking in 52 consecutive patients with CP who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance examination before pericardiectomy, 35 patients with RCM, and 26 control subjects. CP patients had selectively depressed left ventricular (LV) anterolateral wall strain (LWS) and right ventricular (RV) free wall longitudinal systolic strain (FWS) but preserved LV septal wall systolic strain (SWS). In a comparison of RCM and normals, CP patients had significantly lower regional longitudinal systolic strain ratios (CP versus RCM and normal; LVLWS/LVSWS: 0.8±0.2 versus 1.1±0.2 and 1.0±0.2; P<0.001, RVFWS/LVSWS: 0.8±0.4 vs. 1.4±0.5 and 1.2±0.2; P<0.001). LVLWS/LVSWS was more robust than the LV lateral wall to LV septal wall ratio of early diastolic velocities at the LV base (LE'/SE') in differentiating CP from RCM (area under the curve=0.91 versus 0.76; P=0.011). There was a significant inverse correlation between pericardial thickness and respective ventricular strains (P=0.001). Pericardiectomy resulted in the improvement of the depressed LVLWS/LVSWS (0.83±0.18-0.95±0.12; P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regional longitudinal systolic strain ratios are robust novel diagnostic tools for CP. Regional myocardial mechanics inversely correlates with adjacent pericardial segment thickness detected by cardiac magnetic resonance, and pericardiectomy leads to systolic strain improvement, which is more pronounced in right ventricular and LV free walls.
authors.affiliation: Heart and Vascular Institute and Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. .
authors.forename: Kenya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kusunose
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahiya
authors.forename: Zoran B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Popović
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Motoki
authors.forename: M Chadi
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Alraies
authors.forename: Andrew O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Zurick
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bolen
authors.forename: Deborah H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Flamm
authors.forename: Allan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002313:Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D010492:Pericardiectomy; D010494:Pericarditis, Constrictive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013599:Systole; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right
keywords: cardiac MRI; constrictive pericarditis; echocardiography