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ABSTRACT: Background
The prevalence and prognosis of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) among individuals without structural heart disease are uncertain. Standard transthoracic echocardiography is a common method in evaluation of underlying cardiovascular disease and is recommended as a diagnostic method in PVC patients. However, it is unclear whether comprehensive echocardiographic examination can identify pathological findings in PVC patients with a normal standard echocardiogram.Method
We included forty consecutive patients with a high PVC burden (>10,000 PVCs/day) and normal findings at a standard echocardiogram and exercise test. All subjects were investigated by a comprehensive echocardiographic examination using parameters usually not included in a routine work-up. We compared the results with 22 age and sex-matched controls.Results
In six additional parameters-global longitudinal strain, right ventricular strain, septal-lateral delay, ventricular-arterial coupling, integrated backscatter and left atrial activation time-a statistically significant difference was shown between PVC patients and controls. Among these parameters, global longitudinal strain had a high reliability between operators.Conclusions
Despite normal findings at standard echocardiography, the PVC group showed signs of impaired heart function when more comprehensive echocardiography parameters were used.
SUBMITTER: Scorza R
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9489744 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Scorza Raffaele R Shahgaldi Kambiz K Rosenqvist Mårten M Frykman Viveka V
International journal of cardiology. Heart & vasculature 20220915
<h4>Background</h4>The prevalence and prognosis of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) among individuals without structural heart disease are uncertain. Standard transthoracic echocardiography is a common method in evaluation of underlying cardiovascular disease and is recommended as a diagnostic method in PVC patients. However, it is unclear whether comprehensive echocardiographic examination can identify pathological findings in PVC patients with a normal standard echocardiogram.<h4>Meth ...[more]