[Echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging in assessment of haemodynamics in patients with idiopathic, premature ventricular complexes].

Unlabelled: Premature ventricular complexes (PVC) in patients without organic heart disease may be associated with severe symptoms and haemodynamic disturbances. The aim of this study was to evaluate haemodynamics during PVC by echocardiography (ECHO) and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI).

Material And Methods: 40 consecutive patients (mean age 55 +/- 15) with frequent, idiopathic PVC were included into analysis. Patients were included if they had at least 2500 PVC on 24 - hour Holter monitoring (mean: 12124 +/- 6851, range: 2560 - 28677). Parameters of blood flow at the inflow and outflow tracts of the right and left ventricle (LV) as well as TDI of mitral annulus were recorded during sinus rhythm (S), PVC and sinus rhythm following PVC (post-PVC).

Results: LV stroke volume (SV) in PVC correlated with PVC coupling interval (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). The absence of SV was observed in PVC with coupling interval below 400 ms. Significant differences in SV and duration of cardiac cycle periods between PVC, S and post-PVC were found. Peak systolic velocity (Sm) derived from TDI in PVC was significantly decreased (4.08 +/- 2.04 cm/s) compared to Sm in S (9.35 +/- 1.26 cm/s) and in post-PVC (9.58 +/- 1.26 cm/s) in all studied patients (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions: In patients with frequent, symptomatic, idiopathic PVC severe haemodynamic disturbances may be recorded by ECHO. Dysfunction of LV systolic movement is revealed by TDI.