Quantitative left ventriculography: methods of assessment of the regional contractility

To compare different approaches to the quantitative analysis of regional left ventricular (LV) function, six different protocols with various long axis definitions, with or without alignment, with radial or hemiaxial segmental definitions were used. Study group consisted of 20 patients with single vessel coronary artery disease after Q-wave anterior myocardial infarction (MI) and 20 patients after Q-wave diaphragmatic MI. Control group consisted of 100 patients. Analytic protocol with the long axis drawn between the apex of the LV and the center of aortic valve plane, radial coordinate system originating from the midpoint of the long axis and alignment of the long axes in systole and diastole, was found to be most sensitive and specific for detection of both anterior and diaphragmatic contraction abnormalities. Original method to measure both severity and length of the regional contraction abnormality is suggested.