Tissue Doppler echocardiographic identification of ischemic etiology in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

OBJECTIVE: To compare the left ventricular function in patients with ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE). METHODS: We studied 30 patients after myocardial infarction (MI group), 30 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM group) and 60 healthy volunteers in corresponding control groups. TDE velocities, time intervals of cardiac cycle were measured and dispersion index of TDE parameters was calculated. RESULTS: Early diastolic velocities were lower in MI group than in DCM group, with similar systolic and late diastolic velocities. The dispersion index of systolic velocities was significantly higher in MI than in DCM group and in controls (respectively 33.1+/-6.0% vs 12.6+/-3.7% vs 15.9+/-5.6%; p < 0.001) and differentiated ischemic from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. In MI group, preejection period was shorter and isovolumic relaxation and diastasis time were longer than in DCM group, with no differences in dispersion index of time intervals between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: TDE parameters: early diastolic velocity, preejection period, isovolumic relaxation time and the dispersion index of systolic velocities differentiate ischemic and nonischemic etiology of dilated cardiomyopathy.