Diastology Flashcards
Define diastolic dysfunction
- Inability of the ventricle to fill to an adequate end-diastolic volume at normal pressure
- abnormality of LV diastolic:
- distensibility
- filling
- relaxation
LV diastolic dysfunction is usually the result of this:
- impaired LV relaxation with or without reduced restoring forces (and early diastolic suction)
- increased LV chamber stiffness
Both of which lead to increased cardiac filling pressures
Describe the algorithm differentiating CP and Restrictive Cardiomyopathy?
How will pulmonary venous Doppler flow pattern immediately change in the case of left atrial stunning (e.g. after cardioversion for persistent A-fib)?
A decrease of the systolic filling fraction, particularly S1
Define LV filling pressure
Can refer to:
- mean PCWP (which is an indirect estimate of LV diastolic pressures)
- mean left atrial pressure (LAP)
- LV pre-A pressure
- mean LV diastolic pressure
- LV end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP)
What is the diagnosis in patient with:
- Normal systolic function
- PCWP: significant V-waves
- Echo: no evidence of MR
Loss of left atrial reservoir function
or
severely decreased left atrial compliance
61 year old male with PMH HTN with complaints of exercise intolerance.
- LFT’s normal
- HR 60 bpm
- LVEF normal, mild LVH
What is the diagnosis? Next step?
-
Diastolic stress test
- Normal myocardial relaxation –> E/e’ will remain unchanged because both E and e’ velocities increase proportionally
- Impaired myocardial relaxation –> increase in e’ is much less than that of E –> E/’e increases
When performing PW Doppler imaging in the A4C view to acquire mitral annular velocities, where should the sample volume be positioned?
At or 1 cm within the septal and lateral insertion sites of the mitral leaflets
- Should be adjusted as necessary (usually 5-10 mm) to cover the longitudinal excusion of the mitral annulus in both systole and diastole
What are supportive findings of CP with mixed mitral medial e’ (6-8 cm/s) in assessment of CP vs. RC?
-
Annulus reversus
- Mitral lateral e’ < medial e’
- Most likely constriction if present
- Hepatic vein expiratory end-diastolic reversal velocity / forward flow velocity = > 0.8
- definitely constriction if present
What are the elements of a basic diastolic function assessment?
- Left atrial volume index
- Mitral inflow Doppler
- Mitral annular tissue doppler (medial and lateral)
- medial is sufficient in most instances, also easier to align
- Right ventricular systolic pressure
What is two echo machine adjustment that should be made when obtaining annular velocities?
- Doppler spectral gain settings
- usually automatic
- velocity scale should be set at ~ 20 cm/s above and below the zero-velocity baseline
- lower settings may be needed in severe LV dysfunction
- Minimal angulation - < 20 degrees
Describe the findings of Grade II diastolic dysfunction
- LV relaxation - impaired
- LAP - Elevated
- Mitral E/A ratio - > 0.8 - < 2
- Average E/e’ ratio - 10-14
- Peak TR velocity (m/s) - > 2.8
- LAVI - Increased
What is the best way to estimate LV filling pressures in A-fib?
What indicates elevated LV filling pressures?
- E/e’ ratio
- E/e’ > 11 –> LVEDP > 15 mmHg
Define LV untwisting
-
Major determinant of the isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT)
- measurable manifestation of elastic recoil
- energy generated by helically oriented fibers and stored in the heart’s elastic tissue during systole is released before end-systole
- creating early diastolic suction
- filling the LV for the next cardiac cycle
What is second step in assessment of CP vs. RC?
Ventricular interdependence (with respiration)
- No –> suspicion still high –> further imaging or cardiac cath
- Yes –> Mitral medial e’
What mitral deceleration time is associated with elevated LV filling pressures?
< 150 ms in the presence of LV dysfunction
What is the best two-dimensional (2D) and doppler echo finding to differentiate restrictive cardiomyopathy from constrictive pericarditis?
Early diastolic mitral annular velocity
- mitral medial e’ velocity > 8 cm/s
- normal mitral e’ velocity (in patient with heart failure) –> CP
What is the optimal sample volume size in PW Doppler assessment:
- Mitral valve inflow
- Pulmonary vein doppler flow
- 1-3 mm at mitral valve tips
- 2-3 mm placed > 0.5 cm into pulmonary vein
What is first step in assessment of CP vs. RC?
Mitral inflow E/A > 0.8
+
Dilated IVC
- No –> Constriction / Restriction unlikely
- Yes –> Next step
Describe the findings in Grade III diastolic dysfunction
- LV relaxation - impaired
- LAP - Elevated
- Mitral E/A ratio - > 2
- Average E/e’ ratio - > 14
- Peak TR velocity (m/s) - > 2.8
- LAVI - Increased
Describe the diagnosis
Restrictive cardiomyopathy
What deceleration time of the pulmonary venous diastolic velocity indicates elevated LV filling pressures?
< 220 ms
Describe pulmonary venous Doppler flow pattern:
AR wave
- AR wave
- atrial flow reversal velocity and duration
- influencenced by LV late diastolic pressures, atrial preload, LA contractility
What are supportive findings of RC in assessment of CP vs. RC?
- DT < 150 ms
- IVRT < 50 ms
- PV Systolic Fraction < 40%
- E/e’ > 15
- LAVI > 48 mL/m2
Describe pulmonary venous Doppler flow pattern:
S1 and S2
- S1
- related to atrial relaxation
- most noticeable with prolonged PR
- influenced by changes in LAP (relaxation and contratction)
- S2
- related to SV, pulse wave propagation in pulmonary arterial tree
- should be used to compute the ratio of peak systolic to peak diastolic velocity
***A-fib or atrial stunning –> blunted S wave, mainly due to a loss of S1 with a decreased systolic fraction and absence of AR velocity
What is third step in assessment of CP vs. RC?
Mitral medial e’
- > 8 cm/s –> CP
- 6 - 8 cm/s –> Mixed constriction/restriction
- < 6 cm/s –> RC
Describe findings of Grade I diastolic dysfunction
- LV relaxation - impaired
- LAP - low or normal
- Mitral E/A ratio - < 0.8
- Average E/e’ ratio - < 10
- Peak TR velocity (m/s) - < 2.8
- LAVI - Normal or increased
Define E/A wave ratio of Mitral inflow measurements
represents the ratio of:
- E wave: peak velocity blood flow from gravity in early diastole
- to
- A wave: peak velocity flow in late diastole caused by atrial contraction
Describe pulmonary venous Doppler flow pattern:
D wave
D wave
- diastolic velocity
- influenced by changes in LV filling and compliance
- related to LV relaxation
- young individuals can exhibit large D waves
- changes in parallel with mitral E velocity
Describe the diagnosis
Constrictive pericarditis
What are comorbidities that confound assessment of diastolic function?
- Tachycardia (causes E-A fusion)
- A-fib
- AR
- MR
- Mitral annular calcification
- Mitral stenosis
- Ventricular pacing
- Prior surgery / procedure
- MAZE procedure
- Pulmonary vein isolation
- Mitral valve surgery
- LVAD
- Cardiac transplant
What mitral annular velocity values (usually) indicate normal diastolic function?
- septal (E’) = ≤ 7
- lateral (E’) = ≤ 10
What LA volume values (usually) indicate normal diastolic function?
LA < 34 ml/m2
What does mitral inflow pattern provide?
insight into the pressure gradient between the left atrium and the left ventricle
How do you differentiate between a normal and pseudonormal mitral inflow pattern?
EF
- If EF is impaired –> diastolic dysfunction is present and can classify based on pattern
What are the first two parameters to check in the assessment of diastolic function?
- LA volume indexed (LAVI)
- Doppler Tissue Imaging –> E’ (septal and lateral)
*** if both normal then most likely normal diastolic function
What is an easy way to determine normal LA pressure when assessing Left Atrial Inflow or Pulmonary Vein Flow (PVF) in assessment of diastolic function?
S > D
- 85% have normal LA pressure
What is another method for determining normal vs. Pseudonormal filling pattern for diastolic dysfunction?
Valsalva maneuver
In the assessment of diastolic function:
- How is the valsalva response obtained/measured?
- What does it determine?
- How can the Valsalva maneuver help to distinguish between normal/pseudonormal?
- Continuously recording mitral inflow (PW doppler) for 10s during the straining phase of the maneuver
- whether restrictive LV filling is reversible or not
- decrease in E/A ratio of ≥ 50%, not caused by E and A velocities fusion, is highly specific for increased LV filling pressures (supporting presence of diastolic dysfunction)
***Continuous recording of mitral inflow during standardized Valsalva maneuever for 10s –> decrease in E/A ratio with straining, which is consistent with elevated LV filling pressures
What pulmonary vein doppler flow atiral reversal velocity is usually consistent with elevated LV filling pressures particularly at end diastole?
≥ 35 cm/s
In the assessment of diastolic function, explain the relation of the S and D wave in PVF or LAI?
- S wave
- related to LV contractility, atrial function, atrial pressure and mitral regurgitation
- D wave
- related to LV relaxation
- young, healthy individuals can exhibit large D waves indicating forceful elastic recoil of the LV rather than high left atrial pressure
When are Mitral and Pulmonary inflow patterns reliable for the assessment of LV filling pressures?
Only with a reduced LV function
Pulmonary venous atrial reversal wave can be obtained in what percentage of patients?
> 70%
What is the most accurate method to quantify the left atrial size and provide useful prognostic data?
- direct measurement of the left atrial volume using the biplane method of disks
- measured in A2C and A4C views
- LA volume should preferably be indexed
What is the movement on TTE to transition for PLA to a better view of the ascending aorta?
shift the probe up one interspace without changing the location of the index marker (notch)
What is the main utility of the assessement of diastolic function?
to predict filling pressures
What does fractional shortening tell you?
How is it obtained?
What is the equation for FS?
- Gives a rough estimate of LV systolic function using linear dimensions
- PLA at or below the level of the mitral leaflet tips using 2D or M-mode –> linear internal measurements of the LV at end-diastole and end-systole are obtained
- FS% = (LVIDd - LVIDs) / LVIDd x 100
- normal values 25-45%
- 10% is consistent with severe LV dysfunction
- normal values 25-45%
In assessment of the AV/Aorta which measurements should be measured:
- leading edge to leading edge
- inner edge to inner edge
- Leading-to-leading edge (during mid-systole)
- LVOT diameter
- Aortic valve annulus
- Inner-to-inner edge
- sinuses of Valsalva
- sinotubular junction
- ascending aorta