2-Dimensional Strain echocardiography and early detection of myocardial ischemia

Echocardiographic strain with strain rate imaging is a new technology enabling more reliable and comprehensive assessment of myocardial function. The spectrum of potential clinical applications is very wide due to its ability to differentiate between active and passive movement of myocardial segments, to quantify intraventricular dyssynchrony and to evaluate components of myocardial function, such as longitudinal myocardial shortening, that are not visually assessable. In-vivo and in-vitro validation of 2D-strain imaging technique have been undertaken and reached a point where it is considered ready for more widespread investigations into clinical utility, e.g. regarding myocarditis, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy and regional ischemia. Moreover, longitudinal LV strain is closely related to log plasma brain-type natriuretic peptide levels in patients with congestive heart failure, both in patients with systolic and diastolic heart failure. We present a case of detection of coronary artery disease in a 55-year-old Italian man. This case focuses attention on the higher sensibility of the 2-Dimensional Strain echocardiography the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.