Adult Echocardiography Practice Exam

Which condition is characterized by impaired diastolic ventricular filling?

1. Valve function

2. Systolic ventricular filling

3. Constrictive pericarditis

4. Left atrial filling

The correct answer is: Systolic ventricular filling

The condition characterized by impaired diastolic ventricular filling is closely associated with constrictive pericarditis. In this condition, the pericardium becomes thickened and fibrotic, limiting the ability of the heart's ventricles to expand fully during diastole. As a result, there is a restriction of blood flow into the ventricles which can lead to elevated filling pressures and symptoms of heart failure. In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent a condition of impaired diastolic filling. Valve function primarily concerns the dynamics of blood flow through the heart's valves and does not specifically address diastolic filling impairment. Systolic ventricular filling is not a recognized term in the context of cardiac physiology; rather, it may refer to the phase when the ventricles contract to pump blood out, which is separate from diastolic filling. Left atrial filling describes the process in which blood enters the left atrium but does not directly reflect the impairment in filling of the ventricles themselves. Understanding these distinctions highlights the specific challenges that constrictive pericarditis presents regarding impaired diastolic filling, making it the most relevant condition in this context.