[The contractile function of the left ventricle in pure mitral stenosis. Echocardiographic analysis]

The left ventricular performance in patients with mitral stenosis has been assessed by echocardiography, through the measurement of various parameters, such as the stroke volume, the ejection fraction (EF), the mean circumferential fiber shortening rate (VCF), the cardiac work and the left ventricular mass. Among these parameters only EF and VCF are statistically lowered in mitral disease, in comparison with their value for normal hearts: the mean value of EF is 0.62 in healthy people and 0.49 in mitralic patients; the mean value of the VCF rate is 1.05 circ/s and 0.78 circ/s respectively. The cardiac work and power in the considered patients are on the average lower than normal values by about 10%, but not significantly so. A good correlation has been obtained between the left ventricular work and mass, whereas no correlation has been found between the ventricular wall thickness and the diameter of the left cavity, both measured at end-diastole. The quotient of the ventricular thickness and intracavity radius, in diastole, is equal to 0.38 in healthy people and 0.30 in mitralic patients. Lastly, the echocardiographic results and those of angiocardiographic literature were in agreement.