Accuracy and pitfalls of early diastolic motion of the mitral annulus for diagnosing constrictive pericarditis by tissue Doppler imaging.

Mitral annular velocities are reportedly useful in diagnosing constrictive pericarditis (CP); however, their exact efficacy in larger clinical settings remains unevaluated. This study reexamined the role of longitudinal tissue Doppler imaging in diagnosing CP in clinical practice. Tissue velocity imaging (GE Vingmed System Five) was performed in 122 subjects (87 referred with clinically suspected CP and 35 age- and sex-matched controls). Of the 87 subjects with suspected CP, 45 (51.7%) had CP confirmed at surgery, 11 (12.6%) had restrictive heart disease, 20 (23.0%) had right heart failure due to cor pulmonale, and the other 11 (12.6%) had old pericardial effusions and no hemodynamic evidence of constriction on follow-up echocardiography. Of the 45 patients with CP, mitral early diastolic (Ea) annular velocities from septal and lateral regions were normal (>/=8 cm/s) in 40 (88.9%) and decreased (<8 cm/s) in 1 or both regions in 5 (3 with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, 2 with extensive mitral annular calcification). Of 11 patients with restrictive cardiomyopathy, 8 (72.7%) had reduced Ea (<8 cm/s) and 3 showed normal Ea velocity in 1 or both corners of the mitral annulus. All except 2 patients with right-sided heart failure from cor pulmonale and those with previous pericardial effusion had normal Ea velocities. A normal Ea velocity improved recognition of CP, particularly in the presence of nondiagnostic 2-dimensional or transmitral flow-Doppler imaging. The overall sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing CP using tissue Doppler incrementally with M-mode, 2-dimensional, and transmitral flow Doppler were 88.8% and 94.8%, respectively. Mitral annular velocities help with diagnosis and differentiation of CP in most cases, except in the presence of extensive annular calcification, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, or segmental nonuniformity in myocardial velocities.