Objective To observe the tissue displacements between the acupoints and non-acupoints using tissue Doppler imaging.Methods Acupuncture bilaterally were performed at Zusanli,Qvchi and corresponding control points 1 cm lateral to them in 30 healthy human subjects.Monitored by the dynamic system for detecting the force of acupuncture needle during the acupuncture process,tissue Doppler imaging was recorded on the condition of keeping the depth of needle insertion and the rotational torque at the same level approximately.Tissue Doppler imaging was also recorded before and after the acupuncture.Results The mean tissue displacements of the aforementioned 2 acupoints were all significantly greater than those of the corresponding non acupoints(P＜0.05).The mean tissue displacements after the acupuncture were all significantly greater than those before the acupuncture(P＜0.001).Conclusions Tissue Doppler imaging provides a new thought and method for the research of the acupoints.

Objective To study the regularity of blood type and Doppler parameters at the interior and surrounding of the hepatic carcinoma.Methods Seventy-five masses with blood flow signals were selected.The size,mean color density (MCD),flood flow type and Doppler parameters including velocity of peak systolic (PS) and resistance index (RI) were studied.Results ①In the interior of masses,the PS of branch and insert types was the highest,and the RI of branch and net types was the highest (P 0.05 ).Conclusions The parameter is associated with the blood type and grade closely in hepatic carcinoma.

Objective To obtain the shear wave velocity(SWV) in breast tumors at different probe orientations.Methods SWV was measured on 92 breast tumors in 48 female patients with the probe placed on transverse,longitudinal and 45 degree planes.Pathological test results were followed up.Results Pathological tests showed benign tumors in 48 patients (92 tumors).Of the three planes,values of the biggest and the smallest SWV showed significant difference (P ＜0.001).Conclusions SWV differs on different planes of breast tumors.So the effect in different probe orientations should be considered using SWV for the differential diagnosis of breast tumors.

Objective To evaluate the value and characteristics of left ventricular global systolic strain and its relation to the left ventricular global systolic function in patients with myocardial infarction(MI) by three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3D-STI).Methods In 24 patient subjects and 20 control subjects,the myocardial motion was tracking by 3D-STI,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and global longitudinal peak systolic strain(LVGLS),global circular peak systolic strain(LVGCS),global radial peak systolic strain(LVGRS),global area peak systolic strain(LVGAS) were measured.The values were compared between the two groups,the correlations between LVEF and LVGLS,LVGCS,LVGRS,LVGAS were analyzed respectively.Results (1)There was significant difference of each index about LVEF and global strain between normal group and MI group (all P ＜0.05).(2)The correlations among LVEF and LVGLS,LVGCS,LVGRS,LVGAS were found (r =-0.626,-0.770,0.772,-0.748 respectively,P ＜0.01 for all).(3) Bland-Altman analysis showed there were good agreements in both patients with MI and control subjects.Conclusions 3D-STI could be applied non-invisibly and objective to assess alteration of myocardial global systolic function by accurately measuring strain.Therefore,3D-STI appears to be a reliable and useful tool to estimate the left ventricular systolic function of MI.

The left ventricular regional systolic functions in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) were assessed by using quantitative tissue velocity imaging (QTVI). Left ventricular (LV) regional myocardial velocity along long- and short-axis in 31 HCM patients and 20 healthy subjects were analyzed by QTVI, and the regional myocardial systolic peak velocities (MVS) were measured. Mean MVS at each level including mitral annular, basal, middle and apical segments were calculated. The ratio of MVS along long-axis to that along short-axis (Ri) at basal and middle segments of the LV posterior wall and ventricular septum were calculated. The results showed that mean MVS was slower at each level including mitral annular, basal, middle and apical segments in the HCM patients than that in the healthy subjects (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in mean MVS between obstructive and non-obstructive groups in HCM patients. MVS of all regional myocardial segments along long-axis in the HCM patients were significantly slower than that in the healthy subjects (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in MVS of all regional myocardial segments along long-axis between hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied group in the HCM patients. Ri was significantly lower in the HCM patients than that in the healthy subjects. The LV regional myocardial contractility along long-axis was impaired not only in the hypertrophied wall but also in the non-hypertrophied one in patients with HCM, suggesting that QTVI can assess accurately LV regional systolic function in patient with HCM and provides a novel means for an early diagnosis before and independent of hypertrophy.
Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/*physiopathology ; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/ultrasonography ; *Echocardiography, Doppler/methods ; Ventricular Function, Left/*physiology

AIM: To evaluate the effect of simvastatin on the left ventricular mass in patients with essential hypertension (EH). METHODS: 50 patients with hypertension without severe complication were randomly divided into two treatment groups: combination treatment group and hydragogue group, and 25 normal subjects without any treatment were taken as the control. The 25 patients in combination treatment group were given simvastatin and hydragogue for 12 weeks while the other patients in hydragogue group were given hydragogue during the same time. The left ventricular mass was examined from ultrasonography in all patients before and after treatment. RESULTS: The left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was higher in the two treatment groups of patients (133.61±31.02, 118.04±39.62 g·m-2) than that in the control group (88.79±22.73 g·m-2) before treatment (P<0.01, 0.0001, respectively) while the blood pressure was higher. There was no significantly difference in age, serum concentrations of total cholesterol or triglyceride, sugar and blood pressure between the two treatment groups and the control group (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in all variables between the two treatment groups before treatment. After treatment, the LVMI was decreased (133.61±31.02 vs 91.07±16.01 g·m-2, P<0.01) in the combination treatment group while there was no significant change in LVMI in the hydragogue group compared with the control group. The blood pressure in the two treatment groups was decreased to the normal. Compared with hydragogue group, the change of LVMI was higher in the combination group though the serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride or sugar were not significantly different. No significant change in serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride or sugar was found during treatment in the two groups. The change of LVMI did not correlate with the change of blood pressure, serum concentrations of total cholesterol , triglyceride or sugar in the combination treatment group(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Being independent of the changes of serum concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride or sugar and blood pressure, simvastatin can inhibit the increase of left ventricular mass in patients with essential hypertension.

Objective To assess the usefulness of contrast echocardiography in differential diagnosing space-occupying lesions of the heart.Methods Contrast echocardiography was assessed for 38 patients of space-occupying lesion of the heart (SOLH).Contrast enhancement of SOLH was assessed visually,comparing with that in the adjacent myocardium:significant contrast enhancement,intensity higher than or equal to the adjacent myocardium; mild or partial contrast enhancement,intensity lower than the adjacent myocardium,or no contrast enhancement.Respectively,malignant tumors,benign tumors,and thrombus were diagnosed.Twenty-eight patients among the 38 cases had gold standard diagnosis.The consistency between visual assessment diagnosis and gold standards were compared with Kappa statistic.Results Visual semi-quantitative diagnosis of contrast echocardiography:thrombus,benign tumors and malignant tumors were diagnosed for 8,8 and 12 cases,separately.Except two highly vascular benign tumors (1rhabdomyoma and 1 paraganglioma) were misdiagnosed as malignant tumors,the rest 26 cases matched gold standard diagnosis.Quantitative analysis of contrast echocardiography,16 cases were suitable for quantitative an alysis,10 cases were diagnosed as benign tumors or thrombus (quantitative analysis could not differentiate the two),the rest 6 cases were diagnosed as malignant tumors.Quantitative analysis got the same 2 misdiagnosis as visual semi-quantitative diagnosis.Kappa value on visual semi-quantitative diagnosis of contrast echocardiography comparing with gold standard diagnosis was 0.892.Conclusions The characteristics of vascularity of SOLH can be accurately determined by the contrast enhancement level in diseased region through visual semi-quantitative analysis with contrast echocardiography.Contrast echocardiography can be mainly used in SOLH except thrombus that has been clearly diagnosed,especially for patients with on going or fore-past malignancy in other organs.

Objective To evaluate the value of two-dimensional strain imaging in assessing right ventricular function of recipient fetus in TTTS pregnancies.Methods Sixteen TTTS pregnancies and 19 normal monochorionic diamniotic pregnancies(controls) were included.Doppler studies of the umbilical artery,umbilical vein,ductus venosus,middle cerebral artery,atrioventricular valve and semilunar value were recorded in both fetus,and myocardial performance index of both ventricles was calculated.Longitudinal peak systolic strain of right ventricular were calculated and compared between recipient fetus and other fetus.Results Cardiothoracic ratio and myocardial performance index of right ventricular showed significant differences between recipient fetus and controls.Right ventricular strain was decreased in recipient fetus compared with controls.Conclusions Two-dimensional strain imaging can be used to evaluate right ventricular myocardial function in the recipient fetus of TTTS.