Left atrial deformation analysis as a predictor of severity of coronary artery disease.

Background: Two-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking strain imaging is a novel method for assessment of regional myocardial deformation that uses tracking of acoustic speckles or kernels rather than Doppler myocardial velocities. It has been suggested that Left atrial (LA) strain as measured by 2D speckle tracking can be used to evaluate dynamic LA function.

Objective: To study the relation between left atrial deformation and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).