Evaluation of longitudinal myocardial deformation by 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in heart transplant recipients: relation to coronary allograft vasculopathy.

Abstract

Coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) in heart transplant (HTx) recipients is characterized by diffuse affection of epicardial and intramyocardial coronary vessels. Despite significant CAV and anticipated affected myocardial function, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is often within the normal range, indicating the need of more sophisticated non-invasive methods to detect impaired myocardial function caused by CAV. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) represents a new echocardiographic measurement of systolic myocardial deformation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relation between GLS measured by 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and CAV in HTx patients.