Abstract：Objective: To assess the short-term effects of cardiac resynchronization therapy(CRT) via three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(3D-STI). Methods: Fifteen congestive heart failure patients who underwent CRT and twenty normal volunteers were enrolled. Toshiba Artida 4D system with PST-25SX probe were used to perform 3D-STI in heart failure patients and the controls, and the heart failure patients were studied before and one week, one month, three months after CRT. The left ventricular end diastolic volume(LVEDV), left ventricular end systolic volume(LVESV), left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) were obtained. The left ventricular dyssynchrony data sets which include the standard deviation of time to peak area tracking in the 16 left ventricular segments(AT-SD) and the maximum difference of time to peak area tracking in the 16 left ventricular segments(AT-Dif) were also investigated. Two independent samples t test and the ANOVA for one group repeated measures were used to perform the data analysis. Results: Compared with the controls, LVEDV, LVESV, AT-SD and AT-Dif of the heart failure patients were significantly bigger, and LVEF of the heart failure patients were significantly smaller(P<0.05). One week after CRT, the left ventricular dyssynchrony data sets were decreased(P<0.0083); after that, the changes of left ventricular dyssynchrony data sets were not statistically significant(P>0.0083). LVEDV, LVESV descended with the time(P<0.0083); LVEF ascended with the time(P>0.0083). Conclusion: 3D-STI provides valuable information to assess the curative effect of CRT.
2012, Vol. 23 
