Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a significant health burden in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. Rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS) is one of the most common manifestations of RHD, characterized by the narrowing of the mitral valve orifice due to chronic inflammation and fibrosis. The aim of this study was to assess left ventricular systolic function in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis by speckle tracking echocardiography.
Methods: This was a single center, cross sectional, comparative study that was conducted at the cardiology department of Benha University Hospital from July 2019 to July 2021 on with mitral stenosis and preserved LV function. All patients were subjected to full history taking including age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors including smoking, hypertension, and diabetes. NYHA functional classification and clinical examination: including heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, chest and heart auscultation. D- Laboratory investigations, ECG and Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE).
Results: There was no statistically significant difference observed among the studied group regarding the age (p=0.368). The gender distribution showed varying proportions of males (14%, 8%, and 24%) and females (86%, 92%, and 76%) in the Moderate MS, Severe MS, and Control groups, respectively, but no statistically significant difference in gender distribution was found among the groups (p=0.317).
Conclusions: Speckle tracking echocardiography is reliable for evaluating left ventricular systolic function in patients with mitral stenosis. This non-invasive technique allows for a comprehensive assessment of myocardial mechanics, providing valuable information beyond traditional echocardiographic parameters.