ECHO provides layer-specific insight of both myocardial deformation and microcirculation dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathy patients: Clinical value of combined application of left ventricular layer-specific strain and myocardial contrast echocardiography.

AIM: To investigate the pattern of left ventricular (LV) function and myocardial perfusion and their relationship in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients using layer-specific speckle tracking imaging (STI) and layer-specific myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE).

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Thirty DCM patients and 30 controls were recruited and underwent STI and MCE examination. The peak values of longitudinal strain (LS), circumferential strain (CS) of each layer of LV were recorded and compared between groups. Additionally, cross-sectional area of a microvessel (A) and average myocardial microvascular lesion (β) of each layer were measured, myocardial blood flow (MBF) was estimated using A × β, above parameters were compared between two groups.

RESULTS

The LS of endo- (LSendo ), mid- (LSmid ) and epicardium (LSepi ), as well as CS of endo- (RSendo ), mid- (RSmid ), (LSepi ) epicardium and LS endo/epi, CS endo/epi were significantly decreased in DCM patients. More importantly, DCM patients demonstrated decreased A, β and A × β in all three myocardium layers and A endo/epi, β endo/epi, A × β endo/epi compared to the controls. The time to peak and the cardiac cycle required to reach the peak were prolonged in DCM patients (p < 0.05). Longitudinal strain parameters of each layer had a negative relationship with perfusion parameter A and this relationship was strongest between LSendo and Aendo (r = 0.690, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The cardiac strain and, more importantly, coronary microcirculation perfusion was impaired in each layer in DCM patients. The longitudinal function of the LV myocardium was closely related to changes in myocardial microcirculation perfusion.