PERFORMANCE OF THE PEGUERO-LO PRESTI CRITERIA FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIAC DISEASE IN IBADAN, NIGERIA.

Background: Many criteria have been developed to predict left ventricular hypertrophy using an electrocardiogram (ECG). However, one major common limitation of all has been their low sensitivity. Recently, a novel criterion has been proposed, which is believed to have higher sensitivity without a compromise in specificity. Objective: Therefore, in our study, we aimed to test this novel ECG criterion prospectively in large, unselected cardiac patients in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: Patients who were referred to our echocardiography laboratory due to various aetiologies were prospectively enrolled. The novel Peguero-Lo Presti criterion was assessed along with other established ECG criteria. The left ventricular mass index was calculated using echocardiography. The performance of each index was evaluated. Results: Overall, 336 patients were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 57.94±14.98 and 178 (53.0%) of them were males. The sensitivity and specificity of the Peguero-Lo Presti criterion were 59% and 66%, respectively. Although the highest sensitivity belonged to the Peguero-Lo Presti criterion, in ROC analysis, it showed modest predictive capability, which was similar to the established Cornell voltage criterion. Conclusion: Although this novel criterion had higher sensitivity, the overall performance was similar to the current indices. Further adjustments, particularly based on age and body mass index, may yield better results.