Longitudinal contractility evaluation of left ventricular myocardium in healthy individuals

Abstract

Topical issues of evaluation, as well as practical application of longitudinal deformities of left ventricular myocardium in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases are considered. A study was conducted with an estimation of the segmented reference values for longitudinal deformation of the left ventricular myocardium in healthy middle-aged people using the technique of speckle tracking echocardiography. The essence of the methodic is to track coded areas of the myocardium (speckles) in the gray-scale image with subsequent automatic processing of data by special software. The data obtained are presented in the form of graphs and polar diagrams. This methodic has advantages over the method of tissue dopplerography, because it is more objective, sensitive and requires less time for data processing and analysis. At the same time speckle tracking has a number of limitations. To assess deformation, a good visualization of the image and a regular rhythm are required, and, most importantly, there are no generally accepted standards, since each manufacturer of echocardiographic equipment applies various filters that counteract the scattering of an ultrasonic beam. The effect of these filters on the results is unknown and, therefore, it is impossible to compare the data obtained on different devices. In addition, in the present work, correlation links between the structural and functional state of the myocardium and indices of longitudinal deformation of segments of the left ventricle are revealed. These results reveal the physiological features of the process in myocardial contractility occurring in the heart, both in norm and pathology.