Myocardial Ultrasonic Backscatter in Hypertension

Abstract—A disproportionate accumulation of fibrillar collagen is a characteristic feature of hypertensive heart disease, but the extent of myocardial fibrosis may differ in different models of hypertension. In experimental studies, aldosterone and endothelins emerge,as important determinants of myocardial fibrosis. Changes in myocardial extracellular matrix and collagen deposition can be estimated noninvasively by analysis of the ultrasonic backscatter signal, which arises from tissue heterogeneity within the myocardium,and describes myocardial texture. This study was designed to investigate the relations between myocardial integrated backscatter and circulating aldosterone and immunoreactive,endothelin in human,hypertension. The study population consisted of 56 subjects: 14 healthy normotensive,volunteers and 42 hypertensive patients (14 with primary aldosteronism, 7 with renovascular hypertension, and 21 with essential