Regional diastolic function in ischaemic heart disease using pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the utility of pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging in the evaluation of regional left ventricular diastolic function in patients with ischaemic heart disease. METHODS AND
RESULTS: In 30 normal subjects and 43 patients with ischaemic heart disease, Doppler tissue imaging was performed in each of the 16 segments of the myocardium. The following diastolic pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging parameters were obtained for each segment: (1) regional early diastolic peak velocity (regional e wave cm.s-1); (2) regional late diastolic peak velocity (regional a wave cm.s-1); (3) regional diastolic e/a velocity ratio; and (4) the regional isovolumic relaxation time, defined as the time interval from the second heart sound to the onset of the diastolic E wave. In patients with ischaemic heart disease, each of these parameters was evaluated and compared in ischaemic and normally perfused segments, based on the presence or absence of obstructive lesions of the supplying coronary artery. In patients with coronary artery disease, several differences were observed between diseased and normal wall segments: the mean segmental peak early diastolic velocity (e wave) was reduced (mean +/- SD: 6.4 +/- 2.1 cm.s-1 vs 8.5 +/- 2.8 cm.s-1; P < 0.01); the e/a diastolic velocity ratio was decreased (0.95 +/- 0.3 vs 1.5 +/- 0.6, respectively; P < 0.01) and the regional isovolumic relaxation time was prolonged (104 +/- 36.7 ms vs 69.6 +/- 30 ms; P < 0.01. No differences were observed in any of these parameters between the normally perfused segments of ischaemic patients and normal subjects. Patients with a normal transmitral diastolic Doppler inflow pattern had a mean of 3.7 +/- 2.7 myocardial segments with a local e/a pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging velocity ratio < 1, fewer than those with an inverted diastolic transmitral Doppler inflow pattern (10.3 +/- 3 segments; P < 0.001). Overall sensitivity and specificity for an inverted local e/a ratio and a local isovolumetric relaxation time > or = 85 ms were of 62% and 72% and 69% and 80%, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Regional diastolic wall motion is impaired at baseline in ischaemic myocardial segments, even when systolic contraction is preserved. Pulsed wave Doppler tissue imaging is a useful non-invasive technique which allows the assessment of regional diastolic performance and dynamics of the left ventricular myocardium. Further studies are required to define this role in the evaluation of coronary heart disease.