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Developmental changes in the left ventricular diastolic wall strain on M-mode echocardiography

Journal of Echocardiography volume 12, pages 98–105 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

The diastolic wall strain (DWS) of the left ventricle has been proposed as an indicator of left ventricular (LV) wall stiffness. The DWS is calculated as follows using M-mode echocardiography:

$${\text{DWS}} = \left[ {\left( {\text{LV posterior wall thickness at end-systole}} \right) - \left( {\text{LV posterior wall thickness at end-diastole}} \right)} \right]/\left( {\text{LV posterior wall thickness at end-systole}} \right)$$

Although this index is simple and clinically useful, normal values for children, including neonates, have not been reported.

Methods

The DWS was measured in 235 healthy people, ranging from neonates to adults. They were classified into 8 subgroups according to their age. The DWS was compared with conventional echocardiographic parameters for left ventricle function, including shortening fraction of the left ventricle, the Tei index, E/A of mitral flow, mitral annular tissue Doppler velocity during systole (s′) and during early diastole (e′), and the E/e′ ratio.

Results

The DWS in the just after birth group was 0.28 ± 0.11, which was significantly lower than that of the remaining groups (p < 0.05), except for the neonate group at 5–10 days after birth. The DWS was highest in the 1–9 years of age group, and then gradually decreased with age. Stepwise regression of various echocardiographic parameters showed that e′ was the most relevant parameter for the DWS (β = 0.64).

Conclusions

Normal values for the DWS of the left ventricle change with age. The data reported in this study can be used as normal values for the DWS of the left ventricle determined by M-mode echocardiography.

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Conflict of interest

Masashi Suzue, Kazuhiro Mori, Miki Inoue, Yasunobu Hayabuchi, Ryuji Nakagawa, and Shoji Kagami declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Tokushima Municipal Hospital, 2-34, Kitajyosanjima Cho, Tokushima, Tokushima, 770-0812, Japan

    Masashi Suzue

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Tokushima Prefectural Central Hospital, Tokushima, Japan

    Kazuhiro Mori & Miki Inoue

  3. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan

    Yasunobu Hayabuchi, Ryuji Nakagawa & Shoji Kagami

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  1. Masashi Suzue
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  2. Kazuhiro Mori
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  3. Miki Inoue
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  4. Yasunobu Hayabuchi
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  5. Ryuji Nakagawa
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  6. Shoji Kagami
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Correspondence to Masashi Suzue.

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Suzue, M., Mori, K., Inoue, M. et al. Developmental changes in the left ventricular diastolic wall strain on M-mode echocardiography. J Echocardiogr 12, 98–105 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12574-014-0222-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12574-014-0222-4

Keywords

  • Diastolic wall strain
  • M-mode echocardiography
  • Neonates
  • Stiffness