Cardiovascular ultrasound
Discordance between left ventricular ejection fraction and global longitudinal strain during routine cardio-oncology surveillance
By AlRahimi J, Saemaldahar A, Madi R and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS) are widely used for cardiac surveillance in patients receiving potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy. While GLS is more sensitive for detecting early myocardial dysfunction, the relationship between EF and GLS in routine clinical practice remains incompletely characterized, and discordance between these parameters may complicate clinical interpretation.
Methods
This retrospective observational study included 117 oncology patients undergoing serial echocardiographic assessment at baseline, early follow-up (6-12 weeks), and short-term follow-up (3-6 months). EF was measured by biplane Simpson's method, and GLS by speckle-tracking echocardiography as absolute values. EF deterioration was defined as a ≥ 10% absolute reduction or EF < 53%, while GLS deterioration was defined as a ≥ 15% relative reduction in absolute GLS magnitude. Concordance between EF and GLS deterioration was assessed, using Cohen's kappa and McNemar's test.