What is echocardiogram strain speckle tracking?
In the fields of cardiology and medical imaging, speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is an echocardiographic imaging technique that analyzes the motion of tissues in the heart by using the naturally occurring speckle pattern in the myocardium or blood when imaged by ultrasound.
What is 2D speckle tracking?
Two dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a promising new imaging modality. Similar to tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), it permits offline calculation of myocardial velocities and deformation parameters such as strain and strain rate (SR).
How is myocardial strain measured?
Imaging-based techniques have been derived and refined in order to quantify myocardial strain in clinical practice (1–3). The most widely used technique is speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), which has been shown to have clinical utility in a variety of settings (Central Illustration) (4,5).
How do you interpret a global longitudinal strain?
Because GLS normally varies with age, sex, and LV loading conditions, defining abnormal GLS is not straightforward. However, in adults, GLS <16% (sic) is abnormal, GLS >18% (sic) is normal, and GLS 16% to 18% is borderline.
What is frame rate in echocardiography?
Echocardiography has a very high temporal resolution. Temporal resolution is described by the so-called frame rate. The latter is defined as the number of ultrasound images displayed in one second and is expressed in Hertz (Hz).
What does global longitudinal strain mean?
Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) measures the maximal shortening of myocardial longitudinal length during systole compared to the resting length in diastole. Reduced GLS may reflect abnormal systolic function before loss of ejection fraction (EF) becomes apparent.
What does longitudinal strain measure?
Longitudinal strain is an echocardiographic bedside method to assess the regional and global left ventricular function. , We conventionally assess the left ventricular function by two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography.
Is global longitudinal strain bad?
It has been reported that global longitudinal strain (GLS) using 2-dimensional (2D) speckle-tracking system is reduced and associated with poor survival outcomes in patients with severe AS. GLS is a more sensitive marker for systolic dysfunction than LVEF and can detect subtle myocardial dysfunction in AS patients.
What is LV global strain?
Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the most widely used parameter for assessing cardiac function and is a predictor of outcomes. Recent studies have reported that LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) is a more sensitive measure of myocardial dysfunction and is more reproducible than LVEF.
What does TDI measure in Echo?
Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is a relatively new echocardiographic technique that uses Doppler principles to measure the velocity of myocardial motion.
What are the clinical applications of speckle tracking?
Clinical applications of speckle tracking Novel echocardiographic techniques allow the assessment of myocardial strain. Strain can measure myocardial deformation which is an intrinsic mechanical property of the myocardium. The occurrence of myocardial disease can precede structural myocardial changes shown by traditional imaging techniques.
How does Speckle Tracking Echocardiography ( STE ) work?
Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) for detection of LV myocardial strain is a novel cardiac imaging technique assessed by echocardiography. It measures LV regional and global deformations in response to force as a marker of contractility and elasticity.
What’s the difference between TDI and speckle tracking?
Furthermore, speckle tracking provides a direct measure of strain, whereas TDI calculates strain by integrating SR.
How is speckle tracking different from Doppler based strain?
In contrast to Doppler-based strain, which measures velocities from a fixed point in space with reference to an external probe, STE measures distance between two markers within a defined piece of myocardium. Furthermore, speckle tracking provides a direct measure of strain, whereas TDI calculates strain by integrating SR.