Speckle Tracking Analysis of Mitral Annular Calcification and Left Ventricular Mechanics

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Clinical echocardiography often reveals mitral annular calcification (MAC), and this condition has been connected to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors. To this day, our knowledge of the left ventricle’s (LV) physiology is still somewhat restricted. Using 2D speckle tracking echocardiography, we analyzed the connection between MAC and LV mechanical functions (2DSTE). AIM: The purpose of the current investigation is to assess how left ventricular mechanics are impacted by MAC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2020 and October 2021, this prospective and cross-sectional study was carried out in Islamic  Center of Cardiology Al Azhar University and Cardiology Department of Al Hussien University Hospital. Eighty participants were utilized in the study. When necessary, patients were referred to the Cardiology Clinics at the Medical Schools of Al Azhar University for follow-up care. Sixty MAC patients were studied with 20 healthy controls of similar age and gender. All patients had a 2D echocardiogram. Sixty consecutive patients with a MAC diagnosis and 20 age- and sex-matched controls with normal cardiac evaluations made up the study population. The patients were all given a 2D echocardiogram. RESULTS: The longitudinal strain significantly decreased as the MAC severity rose. The LV’s rotating mechanics varied greatly among MAC organizations. The E/A ratio, the global longitudinal speed (GLS), and the systolic tissue velocity were all shown to have a negative correlation with MAC thickness. Additional variables were found to have statistically significant connections. There were significant correlations between MAC severity and age, LV mass index, and t-LV UR. Age, LV mass index, and linear speed were significantly related to MAC severity. CONCLUSION: The LV ability to contract systolically and diastolically is compromised when MAC is both present and severe. The LV ability to contract systolically and diastolically is likewise impacted by an increase in MAC severity.