Abstract：Objective: To observe the changes of left atrium(LA) function in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF) using two-dimensional(2D) speckle tracking echocardiography(STE). Methods: The studied population consisted of 33 patients with paroxysmal AF and 30 age, sex-matched subjects in sinus rhythm(SR) referred to our echocardiography laboratory served as control group. All of the patients were in sinus rhythm when they were checked. Left atrial diameter(LAD), left atrial area(LAA), interventricular septum thickness(IVST); left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD) were measured in 2D echocardiography imaging. Left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was determined. Mitral valve A wave velocity time integral(VTI-A) and maximum velocity(VA) were measured. LA wall strain in the longitudinal direction were obtained by using 2D-STE. Peak atrial longitudinal strain(PALS) and atrial contraction longitudinal strain(ACLS) were measured in apical 4-chamber view and apical 2-chamber view. Time to peak longitudinal strain(TPLS) were measured. △-TPLS was defined as the difference between the TPLS in apical 4-chamber view and apical 2-chamber view. Results: Compared with control group, △-TPLS were significantly increased in AF group(P<0.05). In patients with AF, ACLS were significantly decreased than that in the control group(P<0.05). Conclusions: LA reservoir function were remained but there were conductive asymmetry between atrial walls in patients with paroxysmal AF. AF also hurt LA cardiac muscle, LA pump function decreased significantly. 2D-STE can effectively and easily measure LA △-TPLS and ACLS, speckle tracking echocardiography could be a method to non-invasively assess LA function in paroxysmal AF patients.
2010, Vol. 21 
