Myocardial torsional deformations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography.

The objective of our study was to quantitatively measure systolic torsional deformations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and in controls. Twenty-six client-owned cats with HCM and 14 healthy cats. HCM cats were categorized based on their symptoms (asymptomatic and symptomatic) and with or without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (obstructive and non-obstructive). The cats were examined for myocardial deformations using two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and were evaluated for peak systolic rotation and the rotation rate at each basal and apical view. Cats were also evaluated for the peak systolic torsion and torsion rate. The peak systolic apical rotation and torsion were higher in asymptomatic and symptomatic cats with HCM than in control cats. Also, the peak systolic apical rotation, apical rotation rate, torsion, and torsion rate were higher in cats with obstructive HCM than in control cats. Myocardial torsional deformations assessed by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography may be useful for evaluating compensatory myocardial function of HCM.