Mitral annulus velocity by Pulsed Wave Doppler has been used as method of evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function. However, it is unknown how this is altered in the patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). this study was aimed to compare a group of healthy subjects with a group of patients with LVH.

Subjects were 80 patients with LVH (left ventricular mass index125 g/m2) and 163 controls with normal left ventricular mass index (<125 g/m2). For measuring the mitral annulus velocities by doppler tissue imaging (=DTI), we used the 2.5 MHz probe (Sequoia, Accuson) in apical 4 chamber view with the sample volume at the septal portion of the mitral annulus.

Mitral annular velocity in diastole is easily recorded by DTI in all subjects. in LVH group, mitral annulus E've#locity was significantly lower than controls (5.2±1.3 cm/sec vs 6.2±1.7 cm/sec, p(<0.001) and mitral annulus A' velocity was also significantly higher than controls (8.5±1.3 cm/sec vs 8.0±1.1 cm/sec, p<0.02). annular displacement measured by DTI-TVI (time velocity integral), also In LVH group, mitral annulus E'-TVI was significantly lower than controls (5.7±1.8 mm vs 6.8±2.2 mm, p<0.001).

Mitral annulus velocity determined by DTI could be used as one of the parameters in evaluating diastolic function in patient with LVH.