Value of echocardiography combined with ultrasound contrast in the diagnosis of pre-apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

ObjectiveTo discuss the application value of echocardiography combined with ultrasound contrast in the diagnosis of pre-apical hypertrophy cardiomyopathy(PAHCM).

MethodsThirty-two patients with PAHCM diagnosed by MRI and 32 healthy volunteers were divided into the PAHCM group and normal control group, respectively.The characteristics of echocardiography and ultrasound contrast were compared between two groups.

ResultsCompared with normal control group, the ratio of the myocardial thickness of left ventricular apical to posterior wall, left ventricular mass and left atrial volume increased(P < 0.05), the left ventricular apical myocardial thickness increased significantly(P < 0.01), and the value of E/A decreased significantly in PAHCM group(P < 0.01).Compared with the posterior wall myocardium of left ventricle of PAHCM group(P-LVPW group), the level of peak strength of platform(A) decreased(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01), and the curve rise slope(β) and A×β decreased significantly in P-AM group(P < 0.01).The differences of the levels of A, β and A×β between P-LVPW group and posterior wall myocardium of left ventricle in normal control group were not statistically significant(P>0.05).Using the diagnosis of MRI as a golden standard, the sensitivity and specificity of conventional echocardiography in the diagnosis of PAHCM were 28.1% and 82.1%, respectively, and both the sensitivity and specificity of echocardiography combined with ultrasound contrast in the diagnosis of PAHCM were 100%.

ConclusionsEchocardiography combined with ultrasound contrast has great clinical application value in the diagnosis of PAHCM.