Abstract
Background
Assessment of longitudinal systolic deformation of the left ventricular myocardium during speckle tracking stress echocardiography can potentially be significant in the diagnosis of transient myocardial ischemia. In this regard, determination of the global longitudinal systolic deformation (GLSD) of the left ventricle during stress echocardiography is challenging and its diagnostic capabilities can be assessed by comparing them with the data obtained with invasive methods for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD).
Aim of the study
The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic capabilities of the left ventricular GLSD obtained during stress echocardiography with exercise on the treadmill in defining the presence and significance of CAD.
Methods
The study included 80 patients (mean age 68.3 ± 7.8 years; 29 females). All patients underwent stress echocardiography with exercise on the treadmill. At rest and after treadmill-test, all patients were measured for the values of the left ventricular GLSD using the AFI (Automated functional imaging) algorithm. The delta of the left ventricular GLSD values was counted. The delta of the left ventricular GLSD values was counted as the difference of the left ventricular GLSD values at rest and after the exercise. All patients underwent coronary angiography, assessment of the severity of CAD was counted according to the Gensini score. According to the results of coronary angiography, the patients were divided into 3 groups: 21 patients without CAD, 45 patients with moderate CAD (<34 points on the Gensini score) and 14 patients with severe CAD (> 34 points on the Gensini score).
Results
In the group of patients with severe CAD, the value of the left ventricular GLSD delta at rest and after treadmill-test significantly differed from the groups of patients with moderate CAD and without CAD (-0.56 compared with 2.17; p = 0,009). In the group of patients without CAD, the value of the left ventricular GLSD delta at rest and after treadmill-test did not significantly differ from the group of patients with CAD (0.23 compared to -0.95; p = 0.199).
Conclusions
The delta of the left ventricular GLSD obtained during stress echocardiography with exercise on the treadmill showed a reliable significance in determining severe CAD, but did not demonstrate a reliable significance in identifying the absence of CAD.
Dobutamine-Atropine Stress Echocardiography for the Detection of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
