Value of ‘Tissue Doppler’ Imaging in the Determination of the Right Ventricular Systolic Function
1Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Maltepe University, İstanbul, Turkey
2Cardiology Clinic, Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul
3Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine Acıbadem University, Kocaeli-Turkey
4Siyami Ersek Göğüs Kalp ve Damar Cerrahisi Merkezi, İstanbul
5Department of Cardiology, Siyami Ersek Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Center, İstanbul, Turkey
6Clinic of Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul-Turkey
7Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Center, Cardiology Department, Istanbul
Anatol J Cardiol 2001; 2(1): 85-89 PubMed ID: 12101814
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Abstract

Objective: Since there is a difficulty in the assesment of right ventricular systolic function by 2D echocardiogrphy, a noninvasive, practical and, cost effective method is desirable. Tisse Doppler technique enables to visualize systolic and diastolic velocities of the tissue through sample volume replacement. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between tricuspid annular tissue Doppler velocities and right ventricular systolic functional. Materials and Methods: For this purpose, tricuspid annular systolic (S), early diastolic (E) and, late diastolic (A) velocities were obtained from 38 patients (23 with dilated cardiomyopathy, 15 with mitral stenosis, all of them in sinus rhythm) and 15 healthy control subjects by placing the pulsed wave sample volume at the junction of right ventricular free wall and tricuspid annulus. The time velocity integral (TVI) of S, peak velocity of S and isovolumic contraction time (IVCT) were compared with right peak velocity of tricuspid regurgitation and dP/dt calculated from the spectral tracce of this regurgitation. Results: A significant correlation was determined between RVEF and peak S velocity, S TVI and IVCT (r: 0.76, p<0.001, r: 0.82, p<0.0001 and r: -0.85, p<0.0001 respectively). The peak S velocity <12 cm/sec, S TVI < 2 cm and IVCT>75 msec yielded 76%, 84%, 92% sensitivity and 84%, 84%, 80% specificity for predicting the patients with right ventricular ejection fraction <40%, respectively. A significant and powerful correlation was determined between the peak S velocities and dP/dt in 19 patients whose tricuspid regurgitation could be clearly recorded (r: 0.88, p<0.0001). Conclusions: The analysis of tricuspid annular velocities obbtained by tissue Doppler technique is a practical method of the assessment of right ventricular systolic functions.