INTRODUCTION
Aortic regurgitation (AR) is a clinical status characterized by
diastolic blood backflow from aorta to the left ventricle (LV) due to
the anomalies of valve cusps and aortic root and/or aortic annulus. (1)
Severe chronic AR, by causing volume and pressure overload on left
ventricle, is likely to lead to
left
ventricular enlargement, a decrease in
ejection
fraction (EF) and processes resulting in death in the long term.
Echocardiography is the most significant diagnostic test in the
assessment of aortic regurgitation. Echocardiography allows for the
examination of the anatomy of valve cusps and aortic root, the
establishment of the diagnosis and severity of aortic regurgitation and
the assessment of the LV diameters and functions. (1)
Grading the severity of AR is very important for clinical follow-up and
determining an optimal surgical date. Clinical and echocardiographic
parameters are used for the grading of AR. In spite of numerous
parameters, the severity of AR still remains unclear in some patients.
New parameters that will be proposed with current improvements and tools
in echocardiographic assessment might provide a
supplementary
contribution to the grading of AR.
The significance of the left atrium (LA) in cardiovascular performance
has been recognized for a long time. In recent years, new
visualization
techniques that present a supplementary view for the assessment of the
left atrium have been introduced. Atrial strain and strain rate
analysis, which are obtained by tissue Doppler imaging or
two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography have been proved to be
practical and repeatable for assessing the LA mechanics. (3) In AR,
which causes severe volume and pressure overload on LV, LA mechanics can
be affected in time in parallel with the elevated LV end-diastolic
pressure (LVEDP), and LA strain variations can be illuminating for the
grading of AR.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the LA strain
parameters are associated with the severity of aortic regurgitation or
not.