ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL EARLY DIASTOLIC FUNCTION USING CINE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTROPHIC CARDIOMYOPATHY

In patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), we conducted cine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in which our objectives were to quantify the regional early diastolic function of the left ventricl e and to evaluate the relationship between regional diastolic function and hypertrophy. Short-axis images of the left ventricle were recorde d by cine MRI in 8 control patients and 24 patients with HCM. The imag es were then divided into 10 blocks to evaluate regional early diastol ic function. The regional wall-thickness-time curve, the radius-time c urve, and their first-derivative curves were computed for each of the 10 blocks. There was no difference between the time-to-peak-radius-inc reasing ratio and the time-to-peak-walI-thickness-thinning ratio in th e 10 blocks in the control patients. These 2 parameters in the patient s with HCM were significantly longer than those in the control patient s. There was also a significant linear correlation between the time-to -peak-wall-thickness-thinning ratio and regional wall thickness. Cine MRI was useful for evaluating regional early diastolic function, which is apparently related to regional hypertrophy, in patients with HCM.