Analysis of Left Ventricular Regional Functions by Pulsed-wave Tissue-Doppler in Apparently Healthy Subjects and in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Regional left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is an early finding of coronary artery disease (CAD). It is possible to obtain systolic and diastolic myocardial velocities in different myocardial segments through sample volume placement by pulsed-wave tissueDoppler technique (PWTD). Aim of thi s study was to compare the myocardial velocities obtained by PWTD in healthy subjects with the patients with CAD. For this purpose we performed dipyridamole stress echocardiography to 22 patients with CAD and 12 subjects with a low likelihood of CAD. PW Doppler settings were changed to acquire optimal recordings of low velocity and high frequency signals. Systolic (S), early diastolic (E) and Iate diastolic (A) waves were recorded from septal, anterior, lateral and posterior segments at basa!, mid and distal levels by using apical 4- and 2-chamber views. The period between the end of the S wave and the beginning of the E wave was defined as regional isovolumetric relaxation time (PIVRT). Generally myocardial velocities obtained from septuro and distal segments were found tower than the other segments. S and E velocities and E/A ratio of ischemic segments were tower (S: 7.5±2.1- 10.4±2.9 p