ObjectiveTo build the computer-aided diagnosis system of left ventricular diastolic function for echocardiography,to make the evaluation process of left ventricular diastolic function for echocardiography more convenient,efficient,standardized and to obtain more accurate,practical,objective and reliable diagnostic results.MethodsFirst,the system was developed by the Macromedia Flash Professional referred to the newest guidelines and suggestions published by the American Society of Echocardiography(ASE) in 2009.Second,the program of left ventricular diastolic function in the computer- aided diagnosis system was designed,debugged and improved according to feedback information frompractical applications.ResultsThe diagnostic system can work simultaneously with echocardiography.If assessment parameters of the newest guidelines and suggestions,published by the American Society of Echocardiography in 2009,are imported to the system,then it can give the diagnosis of the change about the left ventricle filling pressures and score the left ventricular diastolic function quickly and automatically.The system will export standard report with both pictures and text.ConclusionsAccording to our experiment,the computer-aided diagnosis system is able to make the evaluation process of left ventricular diastolic function much more standardized and simplified,which guarantee the objectivity and reliability of the evaluation results.Consequently,it will be able to apply to clinical practice in the future.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of quantitative assessment of the left atrial appendage (LAA) morphology and function in atrial fibrillation (AF)patients with real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT-3D-TEE). Methods: Totally 56 patients with paroxysmal AF (paroxysmal group), 26 patients with sustained AF (sustained group) and 11 healthy controls (control group) were enrolled. RT-3D-TEE was used to measure LAA parameters of 3 groups. Results: Compared with control group, LAA end-diastolic volume (LAA-EDV), end systolic volume (LAA-ESV), opening maximum area (Amax) and minimum area (Amin) of paroxysmal group increased, while LAA ejection fraction (LAA-EF), maximum evacuation speed (Vep), area change rate (A%) and diameter change rate (D%) of paroxysmal group decreased (all P<0.05). The sustained group LAA-EDV, LAA-ESV, Amax, Amin increased, LAA-EF, Vep, A%, D% decreased (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference between paroxysmal group and sustained group (all P>0.05). LAA-EF was negatively correlated with ESV (r=-0.73, P<0.01), EDV (r=-0.64, P<0.01), Amax (r=-0.36, P<0.01) and age (r=-0.27, P=0.02), positively correlated with A%, D% and Vep (r=0.86, 0.74, 0.55, all P<0.01), but not significantly correlated with Dmax (P>0.05). Conclusion :RT-3D-TEE can quantitatively analyze the changes of LAA morphology and function, and has certain clinical significance for evaluating the condition of AF patients.

OBJECTIVETo quantitatively assess the left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony in patients with chronic heart failure based on the regional systolic dyssynchrony index (R-SDI) derived from real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE), and investigate the relation between R-SDI and the left ventricular systolic function.

METHODSForty-two patients with chronic heart failure (LVEF<50%) were classified into severe dysfunction group (group A, LVEF<40%) and mild dysfunction group (group B, LVEF≥40%), with 33 healthy subjects as the control group (LVEF>50%). RT-3DE was performed for each subject to obtain the left volume-time curves and the 16, 12, and 6 segment R-SDI. The value of R-SDI in assessing left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony and its correlation with LVEF were analyzed.

RESULTSThe 16, 12, and 6R-SDI were significantly higher in the chronic heart failure group than in the control group (P<0.01). The R-SDI of group A was significantly greater than those of group B in the chronic heart failure patients (P<0.01), and 16R-SDI, 12R-SDI, and 6R-SDI were inversely correlated with LVEF of the patients (r=-0.843, -0.840, and -0.841, respectively, P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSR-SDI can be used to assess the left ventricular mechanic systolic dyssynchrony, and the degree of the dyssynchrony is inversely correlated with LVEF. RT-3DE can serve as a valuable modality for quantitative evaluation of left ventricular dyssynchrony in chronic heart failure patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Chronic Disease ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; methods ; Female ; Heart Failure ; diagnostic imaging ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; diagnostic imaging ; Ventricular Function, Left

Objective To observe the value of two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI)for evaluating right ventricular(RV)synchrony of early stage systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods Totally 60 SLE patients(SLE group)and 65 healthy subjects(control group)who underwent echocardiography were retrospectively enrolled.The general data,conventional ultrasonic parameters,strain parameters based on 2D-STI and synchrony parameters based on 2D-STI were compared between groups.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlations of general information,conventional ultrasonic parameters and strain parameters with synchrony parameters in SLE group.Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the independent impact factors of RV synchrony of early stage SLE.Results No significant difference of general data nor conventional ultrasound parameters was found between groups(all P＞0.05).Strain parameters in SLE group were all lower,whereas synchrony parameters in SLE group were all higher than those in control group(all P＜0.05).In SLE group,synchrony parameters of RV(standard deviation of time to peak strain of global[SD-TPSglobal],of free wall[SD-TPSfree]and of interventricular septum[SD-TPSseptal])were positively and weakly correlated with both SLE duration and systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index(SLEDAI)(| r | 0.256-0.273,all P＜0.05),but slightly and negatively correlated with global longitudinal strain(GLS)of RV(| r | 0.435-0.488,all P＜0.05).GLS of RV was the independent impact factor of synchrony parameters of early stage SLE(P＜0.05).Conclusion 2D-STI could be used to evaluate synchrony of RV in early stage SLE through measuring GLS of RV.