[Function of the right ventricle in patients with mitral valve diseases]

To investigate right ventricular function in mitral valve disease, biplane cineventriculograms of the right and left ventricle were performed in 96 patients-35 with mitral stenosis, 26 with mitral regurgitation, 12 with combined mitral valve disease, 14 with mitral stenosis and tricuspid regurgitation, and nine with mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation, compared to 18 normals (N). Right ventricular enddiastolic volume index was moderately elevated in patients with mitral stenosis and concomitant tricuspid regurgitation (111.6 +/- 35.3 ml/m2, no significance compared to N: 95.9 +/- 21.8 ml/m2) and with mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation (107.9 +/- 45.1 ml/m2, no significance compared to N). A reduced right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF less than or equal to 50%) was found in 40 of the 96 patients. Right ventricular ejection fraction was frequently reduced in patients with mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation (46.7% +/- 15.1%) and significantly reduced in patients with combined mitral valve disease (45.0 +/- 17.6%, compared to N: 58.0 +/- 7.1%, p less than 0.01). No significant correlations were found between right ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular enddiastolic volume or left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with mitral valve disease. Moreover, right ventricular ejection fraction did not correlate with systolic pulmonary artery pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure or mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Local wall motion (mean systolic shortening) was determined for the anterior, anteroapical, and inferior segment in the RAO-projection and for the right ventricular free wall in the LAO-projection. 63% of the patients (n = 25) with reduced right ventricular function (RVEF less than of equal to 50%) showed local wall motion abnormalities, preferably in the anterior segment of the RAO- projection (48%) and the right ventricular free wall (30%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)