Doppler-echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular functions in bilharzial cor-pulmonale patients.

ABSTRACT

Twenty patients with bilharzial cor-pulmonale, ten males and ten females, their ages ranged between 15-35 years, were studied to assess the left ventricular diastolic and systolic functions and comparing the results with the results in a group of bilharzial patients without pulmonary hypertension and another normal group. Bilharzial cor pulmonale patients showed impairment of left ventricular diastolic functions as evidenced by reduced EF slope, MDEV, PER, PE/PA, RFI and Ei/Ai and prolongation of T-PER. The left ventricular systolic functions in the patients were still unchanged or slightly affected as evidenced by diminished MSEV, while EF%, FS%, Vcf were within normal. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions were not affected in bilharzial patients without pulmonary hypertension