Objective To expore the value of real time three-dimensional echocardiography（RT-3DE）in evaluating left atrial function in essential hypertension（EH）patients with different left ventricular configurations.Methods According to the left ventricular configuration

103 EH patients were classified into 4 groups:28 cases of normal configuration（group A）

28 cases of concentric remodeling（group B）

25 cases of cardiac hypertrophy（group C）

22 cases of centrifugal hypertrophy（group D）

and 30 healthy volunteers included in the same period were taken as control group.The left atrial diameter（LAD）

left ventricular diameter（LVDd）

ventricular septal thickness（IVST）

posterior wall thickness（LPWT）

left atrial maximum volume（LAVmax）

minimum volume（LAVmin）

left atrial pre-systolic volume（LAVpre）

stroke volume（LASV）

left atrial ejection fraction（LAEF）in each group were analyzed.Results Compared with the control group

LAD in group C and D was increased

LAEF was decreased

IVST

LAVmin and LAVpre in groups B

C and D were increased

LVDd

LPWT

LAVmax and LASV in EH patients were increased

while E/A was decreased

there were significant differences（all P<0.05）.Compared with group A

LPWT in group B was increased

LAD

LVDd

IVST

LPWT and LAVmin in groups C and D were increased

LAEF was decreased

LAVmax and LASV in groups B

C and D were increased

the LAVpre in group D was increased

there were significant differences（all P<0.05）.Compared with group B

LAD

LVDd

IVST

LAVmax

LAVmin and LASV in group C and D were increased

LAEF was decreased

LPWT in group D was increased

there were significant differences（all P<0.05）.Compared with group C

LAD

IVST and LPWT in group D were increased

while LAEF was decreased

there were significant differences（all P<0.05）.Conclusion The changes of left atrial function in EH patients with different left ventricular configurations are different

and the changes in left atrial function in EH patients with eccentric hypertrophy are the largest.RT-3DE has high value in evaluating left atrial function in EH patients with different left ventricular configurations.