title: Evaluation of left ventricular function by three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending coronary artery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To understand the influence of myocardial bridging (MB) on left ventricular (LV) function, myocardial function was studied in patients with MB of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) using three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Left anterior descending coronary artery MB was diagnosed by coronary angiography in 82 subjects. Patients were divided into three groups according to the percentage of systolic narrowing of the compressed segment: 30% to 49% was defined as group I (24 patients), 50% to 74% as group II (28 patients), and ≥75% as group III (30 patients). Thirty gender- and age-matched normal subjects were included as controls. Left ventricular myocardial deformation was estimated by three-dimensional STE.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left ventricular ejection fractions were normal in all patients, but diastolic function was impaired in groups II and III (E/E' ratio, 9 ± 3 and 10 ± 3, respectively). The amplitudes of longitudinal strain (LS) and area strain (AS) of the LAD territory was significantly reduced in groups II and III compared with controls and group I (LS, -15 ± 2% and -12 ± 1% vs -19 ± 2% and -18 ± 2%; AS, -22 ± 2% and -13 ± 2% vs -33 ± 4% and -33 ± 3%; P < .0001), but the amplitudes of circumferential and radial strain showed no intergroup differences. Longitudinal strain and AS were significantly lower in patients with fractional flow reserve < 0.75 than in those with fractional flow reserve ≥ 0.75 (P < .0001), with relative preservation of circumferential and radial strain. The severity of LAD compression was significantly associated with AS and LS of the LAD territory (r = -0.92 and r = -0.84, respectively, P < .0001), but the correlations with circumferential and radial strain were modest (r = -0.36 and r = -0.32, respectively, P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the increasing severity of systolic compression of the mural coronary artery, LV diastolic function and regional systolic deformation (AS and LS) of the MB perfusion territory were reduced. Three-dimensional STE can detect subtle myocardial dysfunction in patients with MB.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors: Dian
authors: D
authors: Wang
authors: Division of Cardiology, Institute of Vascular Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Jing Ping
authors: JP
authors: Sun
authors: Division of Cardiology, Institute of Vascular Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Lui Che Woo Institute of Innovative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Alex Pui-wai
authors: AP
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors: Gen Shan
authors: GS
authors: Ma
authors: Division of Cardiology, Institute of Vascular Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Xing Sheng
authors: XS
authors: Yang
authors: Division of Cardiology, Institute of Vascular Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Cheuk-man
authors: CM
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors: Jian Dong
authors: JD
authors: Ding
authors: Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University School of Medicine, Nanjing, China. Electronic address: liunf@seu.edu.cn.
authors: Nai Feng
authors: NF
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054084:Myocardial Bridging / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013318:Stroke Volume; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: Left anterior descending coronary artery; Left ventricular function; Myocardial bridge; Speckle-tracking; Three-dimensional echocardiography