Correlation between electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters in the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients

Abstract

Introduction. Left ventricular hypertrophy is defined as an increase in the left ventricular mass. Electrocardiography is a widely used and cost-effective method for the initial screening of the condition, but it has limited sensitivity and specificity. The Sokolow-Lyon and Cornell criteria are still most commonly used in diagnosing the disease; their sensitivity, however, is low. On the contrary, the Romhilt-Estes scoring system incorporates atrial abnormalities and repolarization phases making this scoring system a better diagnostic tool. This study explores the correlation between electrocardiography and echocardiography in the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy. Material and Methods. The study enrolled 30 patients with median age of 62, diagnosed with arterial hyperten?sion, who underwent a 12-lead electrocardiogram and transthoracic echocardiogram. The analysis included the assessment of correlation between the relevant electrocardiographic parameters and the left ventricular mass index, as well as calculation of their diagnostic capability including the area under the ROC curve. Re?sults. Positive correlation of moderate intensity has been observed between the left ventricular mass index and Sokolow-Lyon (?=0.479), Cornell index (?=0.366), and Cornell product (?=0.423). Cornell product had the highest sensitivity (0.82), while the Romhilt-Estes criteria exhibited the highest specificity (0.85). Sokolow-Lyon yielded the highest area under the curve (0.733), followed by Cornell product (0.640), Cornell voltage (0.622), and Romhilt-Estes criteria (0.570). Conclusion. The Sokolow-Lyon criterion exhibited the best balance between sensitivity and specificity, the highest and significant area under the ROC curve and the strongest correlation with the left ventricular mass index.