Potential of echocardiographic assessment of early systolic lengthening in making diagnosis of various forms of coronary heart disease

The occurrence of paradoxical myocardial deformation, which includes early systolic lengthening and post-systolic shortening, was originally described in the 1970s in experimental animal models and in patients with myocardial ischemia at invasive assessment of the left ventricle (LV). Today, new echocardiographic imaging technology demonstrates that these phenomena are much more common than were initially thought. Quite a lot of studies have been conducred to investigate post-systolic shortening (PSS), but the role of early systolic lengthening (ESL) has become increasingly emphasized in the most recent research articles. In this regard, we have made an attempt to describe most completely and accessibly the clinical potential associated with the mechanisms of occurrence of ESL and the significance of its assessment in various forms of coronary heart disease.

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