Study of ventricular function in patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease.

ABSTRACT

Objective: In India, the commonest cardiovascular ailment encountered in hospitals is rheumatic heart disease, mitral valve being most commonly affected. Rheumatic mitral valve disease affects left-ventricular performance as a result of myocardial and functional factors. This study is aims to review the use of Tissue Doppler Echocardiography over conventional echocardiography in assessment of ventricular functions in patients having rheumatic heart disease. Material and Methods: This is a cross sectional study carried out at Shree Sayajirao General Hospital and Medical College Baroda. Total of 35 patients with an established diagnosis of rheumatic MS, and 30 age-matched healthy individuals were included in this study. Echocardiography equipped with TDE function was performed on each participant. The mitral valve area, gradient across mitral valve, Left atrial size, ejection fraction, isovolumic contraction time of ventricles, myocardial velocity of ventricular walls were measured. Discussion: The average age of study population was 33 years with 57% females patients and 43% males patients. There was maximum correlation between Systolic myocardial velocity and ejection fraction calculated by Simpson’s Four Chamber method . Regional distribution of systolic dysfunction occur in rheumatic mitral valve disease with maximum maximum affection of posterior and lateral wall and minimal affection of interventricular septum. LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction can occur in pure mitral stenosis independent of severity of mitral stenosis & Tissue Doppler echocardiography appears to be feasible in the prediction of subclinical LV dysfunction.