[Perfusion, Metabolism and Regional Myocardial Contractility in Patients With Valvular Heart Disease: a Long-Term...

To perform complex assessment of myocardial perfusion, metabolism, and regional contractility in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) in remote period after surgical correction of heart defects.

We examined 30 patients with VHD in 1-8 years after heart valve replacement because of mitral (n=13) or aortic (n=17) valve defects of the following etiology: rheumatic heart disease (n=10), degeneration of connective tissue (n=13), infective endocarditis (n=7). For assessment of myocardial perfusion, metabolism, and regional contractility, we used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Myocardium of patients who had undergone surgical correction of heart valve defects was characterized by dominating diffuse sclerotic changes localized mostly in basal segments. Hibernating myocardium was a less frequent finding. There were segments of borderline state with normal parameters of metabolism but slight impairment of perfusion without pronounced disturbances of kinetics. Patients with infectious etiology of valvular defects had combined perfusion and metabolic changes in multiple myocardial segments. Extensive derangements of perfusion and metabolism were characteristic for patients with connective tissue degeneration.

Signs of cardiac failure caused by disturbances of myocardial perfusion and metabolism in patients with valvular heart disease can persist even after successful correction of valvular defect with normalization of intracardiac hemodynamics.