Heterogeneous distribution of left ventricular contractile injury in chronic aortic insufficiency

Background: Global systolic strain has been described previously in patients with chronic aortic insufficiency (AI). This study explored regional differences in contractile injury. Methods: Tagged magnetic resonance images of the left ventricle (LV) were acquired and analyzed to calculate systolic strain in 42 patients with chronic AI. Multiparametric systolic strain analysis was applied to relate cardiac function in AI patients to a normal strain database (N = 60). AI patients were classified as having normal or poor function based on their results. A two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was applied to analyze regional differences in injury. Results: The mean and standard deviation of raw strain values (circumferential strain, longitudinal strain, and minimum principal strain angle) are presented over the entire LV in our normal strain database. Of the 42 patients with AI, 15 could be defined as having poor function by multiparametric systolic strain analysis. In AI patients with poor function, statistical analysis showed significant differences in injury between standard LV regions (F _3.69,44.33 = 3.47, p = 0.017) and levels (F _1.49,17.88 = 4.41, p = 0.037) of the LV, whereas no significant differences were seen in the group with normal cardiac function. Conclusions: Patients with poor function, as defined by multiparametric systolic strain z scores, exhibit a consistent, heterogeneous pattern of contractile injury in which the septum and posterior regions at the base are most injured.