The role of myocardial performance index in assessment of left ventricular function in patients with valvular mitral regurgitation.

BACKGROUND

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most commonly encountered valve lesion in modern clinical practice. Severe mitral regurgitation may cause systolic dysfunction. Left ventricular ejection fraction may not be an accurate measurement of LV function in patients with mitral insufficiency. Myocardial performance index (MPI) is a simple non invasive measure of myocardial function.

METHODS

The study involved 50 patients with valvular mitral regurgitation and 50 healthy subjects as a control group. Transthoracic echocardiography was carried out for all patients and control group. The echocardiographic measurements included left ventricular end diastolic and end systolic dimensions, left atrial diameter, ejection fraction (EF), and myocardial performance index (MPI).

RESULTS

Results revealed insignificant change in MPI between patients with mild MR and controls (26.47%), and significant changes in MPI between patients with moderate and severe mitral regurgitation and control group (29.41%, 41.17% respectively) with p value <0.05. Insignificant change in EF between patients with mild MR and controls (5.52%) was noted (p value >0.05), while the changes in EF between patients with moderate and severe mitral regurgitation and control groups were (-9.3%), (-7.4%) respectively with p value <0.05.

CONCLUSION

Myocardial performance index is a good and easily determined index in the assessment of left ventricular function in patients with mitral regurgitation and has the ability to detect LV dysfunction earlier than ejection fraction.