Color M-Mode Echocardiography Is More Reproducible than Conventional M-Mode Echocardiography for Septal-to-Posterior Wall Motion Delay Measurements

• Published in: Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) Vol. 25; no. 8; pp. 821 - 826
• Main Authors: Sorrell, Vincent L., Ross, William D., Gregoire, Jeff, Ata, Imran
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA Blackwell Publishing Inc 01.09.2008
• Subjects: Aged; cardiac resynchronization therapy; color M-mode; echocardiography; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color - methods; Female; Humans; M-mode; Male; Observer Variation; reproducibility; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 0742-2822; 1540-8175
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-8175.2008.00704.x

Objective: To compare the reproducibility of conventional gray‐scale M‐mode to color Doppler M‐mode assessment of the septal‐to‐posterior wall motion delay (SPWMD) which is used as a marker of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony. Methods: Forty‐two SPWMD datasets were interpreted by two experienced cardiologists and the inter‐ and intraobserver correlation coefficients were determined. Subgroup analysis was performed on patients with severe septal wall motion abnormalities. Results: The correlation coefficients were significantly higher in color Doppler M‐mode versus traditional M‐mode in all subgroups analyzed. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the color Doppler technique is more reproducible than conventional gray‐scale M‐mode technique to assess SPWMD. These findings suggest that the color Doppler M‐mode may be a superior marker of the SPWMD measurement and predictor of left ventricular (LV) remodeling after cardiac resynchronization therapy.