Myocardial contraction properties along the long and short axes of the left ventricle in isolated left ventricular non-compaction: pulsed tissue Doppler echocardiography

Aim: Our objective was to evaluate regional systolic myocardial contractionproperties along the long and short axes of the left ventricle(LV) in patients with isolated LV non-compaction (IVNC). Methods and results: Pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) was used to record myocardialvelocities along these axes in 25 patients with IVNC (10 asymptomatic–LVejection fraction [LVEF] 50%; 15 symptomatic–LVEF <50%) and 15 healthy controls. In all cases, the systolic velocitypattern featured 2 distinct peaks (SW1, SW2). These peak velocitiesand the intervals from the electrocardiographic Q wave to eachpeak (Q-SW1, Q-SW2) were recorded for each axis, and group meanswere calculated. The asymptomatic group displayed significantlyhigher long axis SW2 and significantly longer long axis Q-SW1than the controls. The symptomatic group had significantly lowerSW1 and SW2 on both axes and significantly longer short axisQ-SW1 than the asymptomatic group and the controls. Long axisQ-SW1 and short axis Q-SW1 in the symptomatic group were significantlylonger than the corresponding control findings, but were notsignificantly different from the corresponding asymptomaticgroup findings. Conclusion: In conclusion, patients with IVNC exhibit distinct systolicmyocardial shortening velocities along the long and short axesof the LV. Further, these pulsed TDI findings suggest that asymptomaticpatients (those with normal LVEF) have subclinical myocardialdysfunction.