Speckle tracking echocardiography: A new approach to myocardial function

Figure 1 Systolic myocardial deformation after electro-mechanical activation. A: LV longitudinal strain from the apical four-chamber view: time-strain curves show a negative end-systolic strain representing myocardial shortening during systole; B: LV circumferential strain from the short axis view: time-strain curves show a negative end-systolic strain representing myocardial shortening during systole. End-systole has been identified by the AVC. At this point, we could observe the negative peak of the time-strain curves corresponding to each myocardial segment.

Figure 2 Comparison between epicardial (continous line) and endocardial border (discontinuous line) in lateral myocardial infarction. In the mid-septal segment (green line) the endocardial and epicardial curves are indistinguishable and result in an end-systolic shortening, while in the ischemic mid-lateral segment (red line) the epicardial curve separates from the endocardial one. Moreover, in this segment, we can observe the lack of myocardial deformation after the electromechanical activation.