Tissue doppler echocardiogram can distinguish restrictive cardiomyopathy and constrictive pericarditis

The schematic diagram shows the early diastolic pattern of the myocardial velocity gradient (MVG), measured by tissue Doppler echocardiography, in normals and in patients with a restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) and constrictive pericarditis (CP). The sign of the MVG depends on the relative fastness of subendocardial or subepicardial velocities; it is positive if subendocardial velocities move faster and negative if subepicardial velocities are faster. The MVGs during both isovolumetric relaxation (IR) and rapid ventricular filling (RVF) phases are reduced in RCM compared with CP or normals.