RESUMO
This work aims to examine the correlation between digitized system computer-assisted analysis of the simultaneously recorded phono-M-mode echocardiogram with the diastolic function estimated by Doppler echocardiography. A total of 100 subjects were included in this study. They were divided into 3 groups, group I [control] consisted of 25 normal subjects [mean age = 41 +/- 4.7 years] group II [hypertensive] consisted of 55 hypertensive patients [mean age = 43 +/- 6 years], and group III [ischemic group], consisted of 20 patients with evidence of ischemic heart disease, [mean age = 42 +/- 5.4 years]. They all underwent [1] M-mode echocardiographic examination from which the data were processed by the computer and analyzed with the help of a video-screen and a keyboard, [2] pulsed Doppler examination of LV inflow tract and obtaining different diastolic filling parameters. The study demonstrated that hypertensive patients have marked changes in LV filling. By Doppler there were reversal of E/A ratio, prolonged velocity half, time, decreased EF slope, reduced early filling fraction and increased late filling fraction. By digitized M-mode there were reduction of peak filling rate, increased isovolumic relaxation period, delay in mitral valve opening, marked increase in LV dimension during isovolumic relaxation, reduction of the rapid filling period and increased atrial systolic period. On the other hand patients with ischemic heart disease showed abnormalities in diastolic function measured by digitized M-mode. There were a decrease in the early peak rate of dimension increase, prolonged time from minimum dimension to mitral valve opening and prolonged duration of LV filling due to atrial contraction. While Doppler indices of diastolic function showed no significant changes compared to control. When correlation between the two methods was performed for each group separately, the results were less significant, non-significant and sometimes incorrectly significant-However, when correlation between the two methods was performed for the combined groups the results are conventional. The alsolute solute and to lesser extent the relative rapid filling periods and the dimensional changes before mitral valve opening could b e considered the only diastolic measures by the digitized M-mode that were related to most of the Doppler measures of diastolic function in the combined groups of patients. Doppler and M-mode echocadiograms measure different aspects of LV diastolic function, so they are slightly correlated to each other. Therefore both techniques can be regarded as complementary rather than exclusive or interchangeable, and their combined use, especially with non-invasive methods, is likely to be much more productive than that of either alone