Left ventricular short-axis systolic function changes in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy detected by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging

BACKGROUND Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease was characterised by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), myocardial fibrosis, fiber disarray. The short-axis systolic function is important in left ventricle function. METHODS Forty one healthy subjects and 37 HCM patients were enrolled for this research. Parasternal short-axis at the basal, middle, and apical levels were acquired by Echocardiography. The peak systolic circumferential strain of the endocardial, the middle and the epicardial layers, the peak systolic radial strain, and the peak systolic rotational degrees at different short-axis levels were measured by 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). RESULTS The peak systolic circumferential strain of the septum and anterior walls in HCM patients was significantly lower than normal subjects. All of the peak systolic radial strain in HCM patients was significantly lower than normal subjects. The rotational degrees at the base and middle short-axis levels in HCM patients were larger than normal subjects. The interventricular septal thickness in end-diastolic period correlated to the peak systolic circumferential strain of the septum wall. CONCLUSIONS The short-axis systolic function was impaired in HCM patients. The peak circumferential systolic strain of the different layers, peak systolic radial strain and rotation degrees of the different short-axis levels detected by 2D-STI are very feasible for assessing the short-axis function in HCM patients.