Method Article

Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation

DOI:

10.3791/54736

⸱

October 20th, 2016

 ,  , 
1HELIOS University Medical Center Wuppertal, Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Center for Clinical and Translational Research (CCTR), Witten/Herdecke University

In This Article

Summary

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Speckle tracking echocardiography is an emerging diagnostic imaging technique for the quantitative assessment of global and regional myocardial performance. Standard view echocardiographic motion images are recorded and deformation parameters are subsequently measured by automated continuous frame-by-frame tracking and motion analysis of speckles within the B-mode images of the myocardium.

Abstract

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The value of conventional echocardiography is limited by differences in inter-individual image interpretation and therefore largely dependent on the examiners' expertise. Speckle tracking Echocardiography (STE) is a promising but technically challenging method that can be used to quantitatively assess regional and global systolic and diastolic myocardial performance. Myocardial strain and strain rate can be measured in all three dimensions — radial, circumferential, longitudinal — of myocardial deformation. Standard cross-sectional two-dimensional B-mode images are recorded and subsequently postprocessed by automated continuous frame-by-frame tracking and motion analysis of speckles within the myocardium. Images are recorded as digital loops and synchronized to a 3-lead EKG for timing purposes. Longitudinal deformation is assessed in the apical 4-, 3-, and 2-chamber views. Circumferential and radial deformation are measured in the parasternal short axis plane.

Optimal image quality and accurate tissue tracking are paramount for the correct determination of myocardial performance parameters. Utilizing transthoracic STE in a healthy volunteer, the present article is a detailed outline of the essential steps and potential pitfalls of quantitative echocardiographic myocardial deformation analysis.

Introduction

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Scientific and clinical scenarios in cardiovascular medicine are more and more addressed by continuous variables and cutoff values rather than simplistic "yes or no" algorithms. Imaging techniques have evolved to be able to assess cardiac function in ever increasing detail. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is an emerging diagnostic tool for the quantitative evaluation of myocardial performance. While conventional echocardiography is limited by subjective image interpretation and a strong dependence on the individual examiner's expertise, STE has been introduced as a reproducible and more objective method to quantify global and regional systolic and ....

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Protocol

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The protocol content has been ethically approved by the Witten/Herdecke University Ethics Committee.

1. Technical Requirements

  1. Utilize an echocardiography device featuring speckle tracking technology equipped with an adequate sector array tissue harmonic imaging transducer.
  2. During image acquisition, record and connect a standard 3-lead EKG directly to the echocardiography device in order to synchronize echocardiographic motion images to electromechanical activity. This is mandatory for timing purposes during subsequent postprocessing analyses. Connect the study subject to the EKG and unfreeze the ultrasound image to start detecting the EKG....

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Results

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The principle parameters for the quantitative assessment of myocardial performance are ε and SR. Technically, all cardiac chambers can be analyzed using STE. However, since speckle tracking methodology has been mostly used to study the LV, the focus of this article is on LV myocardial mechanics. Generally, longitudinal ε and SR are the most commonly assessed LV deformation parameters. Longitudinal ε and SR describe systolic shortening (and diastolic lengthening) of the myoc.......

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Discussion

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Significance of the technique with respect to alternative methods

The current gold standard for the echocardiographic assessment of LV systolic function is the LV ejection fraction (EF)13. However, determination of EF is based on a simplistic approach that is closely correlated to the radial component of myocardial contraction but does not take into consideration the important longitudinal and circumferential planes. Hence, EF oversimplifies the three-dimensional co.......

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Disclosures

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The authors have nothing to disclose.

Acknowledgements

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The authors thank the echocardiographic study subject for volunteering in the video as well as Witten/Herdecke University and HELIOS Research Center (HRC-ID 000416 assigned to Kai O. Hensel) for funding.

....

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Materials

List of materials used in this article
NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Phillips iE33 ultrasound systemPhilips Healthcarehttp://www.umiultrasound.com/ultrasound-machine/philips/ie33
S5-1 broadband sector array transducer Philips Healthcare5-1 MHz, http://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/product/HC989605412081/s5-1
QLAB Advanced Quantification Software Version 10.5Philips HealthcareQ-App: Automated Cardiac Motion Quantification (aCMQ), www.philips.com/QLAB-cardiology
Xcelera R3.3L1 (Version 3.3.1.1103) Philips Healthcarehttp://www.usa.philips.com/healthcare/product/HC830038/xcelera-r41-cardiology-information-management-system

References

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  1. Leischik, R., Dworrak, B., Hensel, K. Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility for radial, circumferential and longitudinal strain echocardiography. Open Cardiovasc. Med. J. 8, 102-109 (2014).
  2. Smiseth, O. A., Torp, H., Opdahl, A., Haugaa, K. H., Urheim, S.

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Tags

Myocardial Deformation AnalysisLeft Ventricular StrainTransthoracic EchocardiographyTissue Tracking QualityApical Chamber ViewsParasternal Short AxisEKG SynchronizationROI SegmentationStrain Rate Measurement

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