Three-dimensional speckle tracking technique in quantitative evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism / 中国医学影像技术

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the value of three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI) in evaluation of left ventricular systolic function in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (SH). Methods: Totally 33 untreated SH patients (SH group) and 35 healthy volunteers (control group) with matched sex and age were enrolled. All the subjects underwent laboratory examination, routine ultrasound and 3D-STI examination. The indexes including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4), left atrial diameter (LAD), interventricular septal thickness (IVST), left ventricle diameter of end-diastolic (LVEDD), left ventricle diameter of end-systolic (LVEDS), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), longitudinal, radial and area peak strains of the left ventricle as a whole and 17 segments were compared between the two groups. Results: There were significant differences of TSH, T4 and FT4 between SH group and control group (all P0.05). The area peak strain of left ventricular medial inferior wall and apical inferior wall, radial peak strain of apical inferior wall and apical cap had no statistically significant difference between SH group and control group (all P>0.05), while the peak strain of whole heart and other segments in SH group were lower than that in control group (all P<0.05). Left ventricular global area peak strain in SH patients positively correlated with TSH (r=0.82, P<0.01) and negatively correlated with FT4 (r=-0.67, P<0.01). Conclusion: 3D-STI can quantitatively evaluate left ventricular systolic function in SH patients at an early stage, and the strain values of left ventricular segments in these patients decrease diffusely.