title: The differences in left atrial function between ischemic and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy patients: A two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate left atrial (LA) function in patients with ischemic (ICM) or idiopathic dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathy via two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the LA maximum volume, minimum volume, and volume before the atrial systole, and calculated total emptying volume, expansion index, active emptying volume, and fraction. We measured strain and strain rate during systole and late diastole using two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging, and analyzed correlations between variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no significant differences in LA size, left ventricle (LV) end-diastole diameter, LV ejection fraction (EF), E/A, E/e', deceleration time of the E wave, and effective mitral regurgitant orifice area between the DCM and the ICM group. However, the LA expansion index, active EF, systolic and late diastolic strain, and strain rate were lower in the ICM group (p < 0.05). The expansion index and active EF were positively correlated with the systolic strain rate and the absolute value of the late diastolic strain rate, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LA basic echocardiographic variables did not reflect the differences between ICM and DCM patients, but the systolic and late diastolic strain, as well as the strain rate, were lower in DCM patients. Two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging is a promising method to differentiate these patients. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:437-445, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
authors.forename: Rui-Qiang
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: cardiomyopathy; echocardiography; left atrium; speckle-tracking imaging