ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM WITH AND WITHOUT CARDIOTHYROSIS

There has been little research done on the differences between hyperth yroidic patients who exhibit cardiothyreosis and those rr ho do not. T he objective of this research was to elucidate the variations in echoc ardiographic parameters that exist between these two groups, in order to determine practical implications. A prospective study on 37 subject s was performed: 20 in group I (without cardiothreosis) and 17 in grou p II (exhibiting cardiothyreosis). In both groups, women were predomin ant. Left ventricular diameters and volumes were statistically higher in group II (p < 0.0007). The left ventricular end systolic stress was also higher (140.10(3) + 37 vs 131.10(3) +/- 51 dynes/cm(2), p < 005) . There was no significance between the two groups in shortening fract ion, ejection fraction and mean rate of circumferential fiber shorteni ng. The E/A ratio of the mitral flow was higher in group II (1.98 +/- 1.3 I s 1.3 + 0.7, p < 0,05), but the isovolumetric relaxation time an d the deceleration time of the E wave were similar in both groups. Lef t ventricular systolic dysfunction was observed in 5 patients of each group. Relaxation abnormalities were found in 10% of the subjects in g roup I and 33.3% in group II. Significant valvular regurgitation was o bserved only in group II (8 cases of mitral, 1 case of tricuspid and 1 case of aortic regurgitation). Given that cardiovascular perturbation s may be different during the stages of the hyperthyroidism, different therapeutic approaches may thus be considered facilated by appropriat e echocardiographic examination.