[Long-term course of infarct of the right ventricle]

The long-term evolution of 36 patients surviving the phase of hospitalization after a postero-inferior infarction with extension to the right ventricle was studied. Patients included 7 women and 29 men with a mean age of 55 years. Follow-up time averaged 39 months (range: 4 to 78 months). The evolution of acute phase was analyzed and correlated with mortality, complications and long-term evolution of functional capacity. Mortality at the end of follow-up period was 5.5%. Five patients developed another myocardial infarctions (16%). No patient manifested right heart failure; in one case tricuspid regurgitation was evident. The majority of the patients (55.5%) were in functional class I of the NYHA, while 36.6% were in class II and 8.3% in class III. We conclude that long-term mortality of those patients with right ventricular infarction is not greater than that of other patients with myocardial infarction, and that the great majority have a favorable evolution in regard of functional capacity. Impared function is generally due to left ventricular failure secondary to the severity and extension of coronary lesions. The subgroup of patients with severe right ventricular dysfunction during the acute phase of the infarction did not have a worse long-term prognosis.