Assessment of right ventricular dysfunction in patients with mitral stenosis: A speckle tracking study

Staging Extramitral Cardiac Damage in Mitral Annular Calcification With Mitral Valve Dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a progressive degenerative process associated with comorbidities and increased mortality. A staging system that considers extramitral cardiac damage in MAC may help improve patient selection for mitral valve interventions.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to develop a transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE)-based cardiac staging system in patients with MAC and significant mitral valve dysfunction and assess its prognostic utility.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated all adults who underwent TTE over 1 year at Mayo Clinic with MAC and significant mitral valve dysfunction defined as mitral stenosis and/or at least moderate mitral regurgitation. Patients were categorized into 5 stages according to extramitral cardiac damage by TTE. All-cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization were assessed.

RESULTS

For the 953 included patients, the mean age was 76.2 ± 10.7 years, and 54.0% were women. Twenty-eight (2.9%) patients were classified in stages 0 to 1, 499 (52.4%) in stage 2, 115 (12.1%) in stage 3, and 311 (32.6%) in stage 4. At the 3.8-year follow-up, mortality was significantly higher in patients in stages 2 to 4 compared to stages 0 to 1 and increased with each stage. Survival differences were maintained after adjustment for age, diabetes mellitus, and glomerular filtration rate. The rate of heart failure hospitalization was significantly higher in stages 3 and 4 compared to stages 0 to 1. Similar results were observed in subgroup analysis in patients with moderate or severe MAC, predominant mitral stenosis, or predominant mitral regurgitation.

CONCLUSIONS

Using the proposed extramitral cardiac damage staging system in patients with MAC and significant mitral valve dysfunction, more advanced stages are associated with higher mortality.

Subclinical right ventricular dysfunction in patients with mitral stenosis

BACKGROUND

Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a strong predictor of poor outcomes of patients with mitral stenosis (MS). The aim of this study was to detect a subclinical right ventricular dysfunction in patients with MS.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective study from January 2015 to June 2019 in 104 asymptomatic patients with MS (mean age: 46.1 ± 4.27 years), and compared to a group of 52 age and sex matched healthy subjects. Standard and speckle tracking echocardiography were performed; parameters of RV function were measured and compared.

RESULTS

Although they were in normal range, RV fractional area change (RVFAC), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), tissue Doppler and pulsed wave Doppler RV myocardial performance index (MPI) and peak systolic velocity (S') were decreased in patients with MS (p < 0.05). The global RV longitudinal strain (LSGRV) and the longitudinal strain of the free wall of the right ventricular (LSFRV) were lower in patients with MS (p, respectively, at 0.001 and < 0.001), 53.5% (n = 47) of patients had LSFRV < - 20%. A significant difference was noted between LSFRV and 2D strain of the septal wall (p = 0.002). No difference was found between patients with severe MS and moderate MS regarding LSFRV and LSGRV. No correlation between LSFRV and FAC (p = 0.85), MPI (p = 0.62), TAPSE (p = 0.31) and S' (p = 0.78) was found.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed the presence of subclinical systolic dysfunction of the right ventricle in patients with MS.