Association between segmental isovolumic relaxation velocity detected by tissue doppler imaging and the presence of significant coronary artery stenosis

The early diastolic velocity pattern in the normal left ventricular(LV) wall segments has been described as a high diastolic velocitycorresponding to the rapid filling phase and low uniphasic or biphasicvelocities in the isovolumic relaxation (IVR) period (Tavil et al., 2007).This normal relaxation pattern can be disturbed by persistentcontraction after the aortic valve closure in ischemic myocardium, whichhas been termed as post systolic shortening (PSS) (Voigt et al., 2003).In the myocardial segments with normal pattern of early diastolicvelocity or PSS, the early diastolic peak velocity always appears in therapid filling phase (D’Andrea et al., 2001). However, in clinical practice,some segments relax with the early diastolic peak velocity lying in the IVRperiod instead of the rapid filling phase (the PVIVR)(Zhang et al., 2007).Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a useful echocardiographic methodthat derives measurements of contraction and relaxation velocities directlyfrom the myocardium (Edvardsen et al., 2002).Tissue Doppler imaging was used to investigate the segments ofwhich early diastolic peak velocity lies in the IVR period and to furthercharacterize these segments (Zhang et al., 2007).However, the association between the presence of early diastolicpeak velocity in the IVR period (PVIVR) or PSS by TDI and the presenceof significant CAD by coronary angiography has not been elucidated.introduction&aim of the work2Aim of the workWe aimed in this study to investigate the association between restingsegmental isovolumic relaxation velocities (either the PSS or the PVIVR)detected by tissue Doppler imaging and the presence of significantcoronary artery stenosis by coronary angiography.