Evaluation Of Left Ventricular Long-axis Systolic Function In Patients With Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis Using Strain Rate Imaging

Objective To detect the alteration of left ventricular long-axis systolic function in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis(MS) and investigate its clinical significance.Methods Totally 50 healthy volunteers and 50 patients with MS were enrolled.Using strain rate imaging to acquire the image in the apical 4-chamber,2-chamber and long-axis vieus,to measure the systolic peak strain(Ss) and systolic peak strain rate(SRs) along the left ventricular long axis in basical and middle of anteroseptal,posterior,anterior,inferior,posteroseptal and lateral by off-line computer.Results According left ventricular ejection fraction(EF),50 patients with MS were further divided into two subgroups,i.e.normal EF containing 40 patients with EF of more than 50%and decreased EF group containing 10 patients with EF of less than 50%.Ss,SRs in patients with either of normal EF and decreased EF was significantly lower than in controls(P＜0.01),and in patients with decreased EF was lower than in patients with normal EF(P＜0.01).Ss and SRs correlated with mitral effective orifice area in patients with MS(r=0.35,P＜0.05;r=0.46,P＜0.05 respectively).LVEF correlated well with Ss and SRs(r=0.66,P＜0.01;r=0.78, P＜0.01respectively).Conclusions Left ventricular long-axissystolic dysfunction exists in the majority of patients with MS,and it occurs before left ventricular short-axis dysfunction.In our result,SRI cound evaluate left ventricular long-axis systolic function correctly in patients with MS.