A non-invasive comparative study of left ventricular hypertrophy by electrocardiography and echocardiography

Various ECG criteria's are available for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy. LVH diagnosed by Echo is much more sensitive than ECG. This is a small effort to study LVH by ECG and ECHO and compare the findings of these two tests. This is a single centre, non randomized, cross sectional study, done on 50 hypertensive patients. ECG criteria used in the study are Sokolow-Lyon criteria, Romhilt-Estes point score and Cornel voltage criteria. M-mode and 2D echo study were performed in all patients. LV mass index (LVMI) is taken as gold standard for LVH in this study, with two groups. Group I: Normal LV mass index (N-LVMI), Group II: Increased LV mass index (I-LVMI). Out of 50 patients 58% had Normal LV mass index and 42% patients had increased LVMI. Out of 50 patients, 21 (13+ 8) nos. of patients had LVH either by ECG or by Echocardiography. Among the 50 patients studied for LVH by ECG, 11 (22%) patients shown LVH in ECG. More specific correlation of ECG with LVH and LV mass index was present. Echocardiography is more reliable and cost effective tool for detecting LV mass and hypertrophy when compared to ECG. But specificity of ECG is also high.