Assessment of left ventricular function and aortic elastic properties in patients with Behçet’s disease using conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography

Abstract

Background: Behc¸et disease (BD) is a multisystemic, chronic inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology with diffuse clinical manifestations including the cardiovascular system.Aim of the work: To assess left ventricular (LV) function and thoracic aorta elastic properties in BD patients using Doppler echocardiography and to correlate echocardiographic findings with disease activity.Patients and methods: The LV functions and thoracic aorta elastic properties were assessed in 30 BD patients and 30 controls using conventional and Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) echocardiography. Disease activity was evaluated using Behc¸et's disease current activity form (BDCAF). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured.Results: In BD patients, ESR and CRP were significantly elevated while cholesterol and triglycerides were comparable to the levels in the control. In conventional echocardiography, BD patients had significantly higher aortic diastolic diameter (p < 0.05), aortic stiffness index (p < 0.001), isovolumic relaxation time (p < 0.001), flow propagation velocity (FPV) and peak E-wave velocity/FPV (E/FPV) (p < 0.001) than the control group while aortic strain was significantly lower

Validation test on 3d heart phantom for mitral valve leaflet tracking

“…Right after the ventricles filled with the oxygenated or deoxygenated blood, the ventricles pump the blood into the large arteries to be transferred to the whole body and to the lung for the deoxygenated blood exchange. Number of studies reported [1], [2] the left ventricle is located at the bottom left portion of the heart below the left atrium, separated by the mitral valve. Various conditions may affect the left ventricle and interfere with its proper functioning.…”