[Differentiation between physiological left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy of athletes, usefulness Doppler tissue imaging]

ABSTRACT

Athlete's heart is a cardiac adaptation to long-term, intensive training, wich includes physiological changes as increased ventricular cavity, wall thickness and mass. Maron highlighted a "gray zone" of wall thickness with difficult distinction between physiological left ventricular hypertrophy of athletes from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy [HCM]. The aim of the study is to analyse the data published about the diagnostic tools wich differentiate between physiological athlete's left ventricular hypertrophy and HCM. Even if the standard two-dimensional echocardiography represents an irreplaceable method in the evaluation of cardiac adaptations to physical exercice, the data currently available suggests the usefulness of Doppler tissue imaging [DTI] in the distinction between HCM and athlete's heart. The authors, will report the best DTI parameters recommended in this setting. The best DTI parameter to differentiate pathological hypertrophy of HCM from physiological hypertrophy of athletes was the gradient of diastolic velocity between the endocardium and the epicardium. On this ground, DTI may be taken into account in the Maron's diagnosis cascade