Objective To determine normal values for tissue velocity imaging (TVI) and strain rate imaging (SRI) in the left atrium (LA) and right atrium (RA) in normal subjects. Methods A total of 63 healthy volunteers (50.8% male, age: 20–50 years) prospectively underwent TVI and SRI. The peak systolic velocity (TVs), strain (STs) and strain rate (SRs), peak early and late diastolic velocities (TVe and TVa), strain (STe and STa), and strain rate (SRe and SRa) were measured in the base and mid of the LA and RA walls and roofs. Results By TVI, TVs and TVe of LA walls decreased significantly from basal to mid‐level and from mid to the roof. Mean Tva of LA walls reduced significantly from basal to mid‐level and to the roof. By SRI, mean STs and STe of LA walls increased remarkably from basal to mid‐level and to the roof and also mean SRs, SRe and SRa increased significantly from basal to mid‐level and to the roof. For SRe, the changes were also significant from mid‐LA wall to the roof. Mean Tvs, Tve, and Tva of the RA walls reduced significantly from base to mid and then to the RA roof. RA systolic, early, and late diastolic ST and SR increased from base to mid and to the roof. Conclusion Peak systolic and diastolic velocities of the LA and RA decreased from the base to the mid and to the roof, while systolic and diastolic ST and SR increased from the base to the mid to the roof.

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is one of the most common heart diseases. Interventricular conduction disorders are complications of acute myocardial infarctions and have different types, such as left and right bundle branch blocks and left anterior and posterior hemiblocks. The prognosis of this disease can affect therapeutic methods, duration of hospitalization, and timely intervention decisions. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the relationship between interventricular conduction disorders and the prognosis of patients with ACS.Methods: Using the convenience sampling method, this analytical case-control study was conducted on 140 patients with ACS (61 patients in the case group and 79 patients in the control group) who were treated from March to August 2013. The underlying variables of the risk factors for ACS were evaluated, along with prognostic evaluation factors, in two groups: a case group (patients with interventricular conduction disorders) and a control group (patients without interventricular conduction disorders). Data were analyzed with SPSS v. 17 software using the chi-squared test, the analysis of variance test, Student’s t-test, and Fisher’s exact test. Results: The mean age of patients was 64.1 ± 5.8 years in the case group and 62.9 ± 8.8 years in the control group. No significant relationship was observed between ACS risk factors, such as hyperlipidemia, diabetes, hypertension, previous myocardial infarction, and smoking, and the prognosis of patients with ACS. The mean ejection fraction was 39.7 in the case group and 45.1 in the control group, so a significant relationship existed between the two groups (P<0.05). In addition, systolic heart failure was more common in the case group than in the control group.Conclusion: We found that the presence of auscultation (rales sound) and shortness of breath on the first day of hospital admission in the case group was significantly different from the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ejection fraction in the case group was lower than in the control group, and the frequency of mitral regurgitation in the case group was higher than in the control group. These factors can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with ACS. Finally, we found that interventricular conduction disorders weakened the prognosis of patients with ACS.

Introduction: Myocardial longitudinal tissue velocity imaging (TVI) and strain rate imaging (SRI) indices may have a role in the prediction of significant proximal stenosis of left anterior descending (LAD) by echocardiography. Materials And Methods: Total 20 patients with proximal LAD stenosis >70% by angiography and ejection fraction ≥50%, without wall motion abnormality at resting echo (stenotic group) and 20 angiographically normal coronaries subjects with normal echocardiography (non-stenotic group) were included in the study. SRI and TVI were performed in nine segments of the LAD territory at rest. Parameters of interest included: peak systolic strain (ST, %), strain rate (SR, Second-1), and peak systolic velocity (Sm, cm/s). Results: Overal mean ST and SR showed a significant reduction in the stenotic group compared to non-stenotic group (P<0.001), while the mean Sm had no significant difference. A segment-by-segment comparison revealed a reduction of ST in 4/9 (two apical and two anteroseptal) and SR in 5/9 (three apical, septal, and anteroseptal midportion) in the stenotic group (P<0.05). Both ST and SR showed a significant reduction in three segments: anterior-apical, lateral-apical, and anteroseptal-midportion. When both ST and SR decreased in one segment, specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis of proximal LAD stenosis was more than 80% and 55%, respectively, by Roc analysis. Conclusion: There is an overall reduction in the mean ST and SR in the segments of LAD territory with significant proximal stenosis and normal wall motion at rest and an acceptable specificity and sensitivity of SRI for the detection of stenosis in these segments.

Introduction:The use of tissue velocity and strain rate imaging is proposed for the quantification of non-viable myocardium. This study is aimed at investigating the differences in tissue velocity and strain rate imaging indices between non-viable left ventricular apical segments and the normal segments using segment-by-segment comparison. Materials and Method: Thirty-two patients with akinetic left ventricular apical segments and without viability were selected using two-dimensional echocardiography and dobutamine stress echocardiography; 32 individuals with normal echocardiography and coronary angiography formed the normal group. Peak systolic velocity, peak systolic strain, and strain rate were measured in the four left ventricular apical segments and the apex 17 th segment. Results: The patient group had a significantly lower ejection fraction (26.88±6.06% vs. 56.56±2.36%; p<0.001). Overall, the patient group had significantly lower resting peak systolic velocity, systolic strain, and strain rate. In the segmentby-segment comparison, only systolic strain showed a remarkable reduction in the patient group, while reduction in Sm and strain rate were not significant in all the segments. After dobutamine stress echocardiography, only systolic strain showed an insignificant increase compared to the resting values. In the apex 17 th segment, Sm showed significant reduction in the patient group. Conclusion: The ST in apical segments may be used as a quantitative index for detecting akinesia both at rest and after dobutamine infusion. Reduction in Sm can be used as a marker of akinesia in the apical cap at rest.