Evaluation of Myocardial Strain by 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in Patients with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

Background: Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is one of the most common con- genital muscle disorders. Whether facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy causes car- diac involvement is still controversial. Although electrocardiography and conventional echocardiography studies have been performed, there is no data on strain echocar- diography in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Our study aims to compare the myocardial strain parameters by 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and the normal group. Methods: This prospective single-center study included 35 patients with facioscapu- lohumeral muscular dystrophy and 54 control patients. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters of both groups were compared. In addition to conventional echo- cardiography images, myocardial strain parameters were performed using 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. Results: The median age of the study population was 25 (19-35 IQR) and 51 (57.3%) of them were male. Left ventricle-global circumferential strain was significantly lower in the facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy group than in the normal group [−20.3 (−22.0; −19.0) vs. −21.6 (−22.5; −20.0), P = .020]. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiog- raphy findings except left ventricle-global circumferential strain [for left ventricle-global longitudinal strain P = .259, for left ventricle-global radial strain P = .338, for right ventri- cle-global circumferential strain P = .250, and for right ventricle-free wall longitudinal strain P = .288] were similar in both groups. Conclusions: As a result of our study, there was no significant difference between 2-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography parameters other than the left ventri- cle-global circumferential strain between facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and normal groups.