Evaluating The Regional Wall Motion With Velocity Vector Imaging In Patients With Coronary Heart Disease

Object:Using velocity vector imaging(VVI) to assess the regional function in patients with myocardial infarction.Methods:Thirty four patients with coronary artery diseases(24 of them with myocardial infarction)and 16 healthy subjects(control group) were included.The short axis views of left ventricle at the level of mitral valve, papillary muscle and apex were acquired with Siemens Sequoia 512 ultrasound system.The radial and circumferential regional motion, displacement,strain rate and strain were analyzed with the off-line syngo US workplace software.Results:The velocity,displacement,strain rate and strain of epicardium were lower than that of endocardium.Significant regional motion abnormality was found in the infarcted segments,all the VVI measurements were lower than the segments of normal wall motion. The regional function,especially the diastolic function damage had already exist early before the visible wall motion abnormality in the segments supplying with stenostic coronary artery,which can be detected by VVI.But no significant difference was found in VVI parameters between the different severities of coronary artery disease.Conclusions:The segmental function was decreased in infarcted segments.VVI can detect the subtle function damage in the area supplied by a stenostic coronary artery,even there was no visible wall motion abnormality.VVI can quantify the abnormality of radial and circumferential motion in the infarcted segments.It is a useful tool for assessing the myocardial regional function.