Detection of left ventricular asynchrony and its relationship with the Tei index in patients with coronary artery ectasia.

Objective: To evaluate left ventricular (LV) systolic asynchrony and its relationship with the Tei index using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI); and to evaluate the relationship of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count (TFC) and Tei index with LV asynchrony in patients with coronary artery ectasia (CAE).

Methods: A total of 50 CAE patients and 40 control subjects were evaluated. Diagnosis of CAE was made angiographically and TFC was calculated. LV systolic and diastolic function was assessed by conventional echocardiography and TDI. Evaluation of intra-LV systolic asynchrony was performed using tissue synchronization imaging (TSI).

Results: In patients with CAE, the Tei index was significantly higher than in controls (0.63±0.12 versus 0.52±0.12; P<0.001). LV systolic asynchrony parameters of TSI including SD of the peak tissue velocity (Ts) of the 12 LV segments (Ts-SD-12), maximal difference in Ts between any two of the 12 LV segments (Ts-12), SD of the Ts of the six basal LV segments (Ts-SD-6), maximal difference in Ts between any of the six basal LV segments (Ts-6) were significantly lengthened in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism compared with controls (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). In addition, a positive correlation was found between Ts-SD-12 and the Tei index in patients with CAE (r=0.841; P<0.001) and mean TFC was positively correlated with Ts-SD-12 and the Tei index (r=0.345; P=0.013 and r=0.291; P=0.021, respectively).

Conclusion: Patients with CAE exhibit evidence of LV systolic asynchrony according to TSI. LV systolic asynchrony is related to the Tei index and mean TFC. Furthermore, the Tei index is an independent risk factor for LV systolic asynchrony.