Left ventricle dynamics during pulsus alternans: insights from tissue velocity imaging.

A 34-year-old female patient with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy presented with hemodynamic pulsus alternans. Mitral annular tissue Doppler velocities showed reciprocal beat-to-beat alterations during systolic ejection and diastolic filling periods. Tissue velocity waves were unaltered during the isovolumic relaxation and contraction periods.