[Left ventricular ejection dynamics in apical hypertrophy, a form of hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy]

The left ventricular (LV) cineangiograms of ten patients with apical hypertrophy (AH, group I) as a form of hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy (HNCM) were analyzed. The left ventricular ejection dynamics, the extent and pattern of left ventricular contraction were compared with eight patients with secondary myocardial hypertrophy due to arterial hypertension (group II) and eight normal subjects (group III). End-diastolic, end-systolic and stroke volumes were significantly lower in group I. The analysis of left ventricular ejection dynamics with frame-by-frame-analysis revealed the typical ejection pattern of hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy: Left ventricular ejection was completed within two thirds of the systolic ejection period. This ejection pattern is of diagnostic value when compared with the dynamics in group II. Although the apical segment in group I shows a good fiber shortening, the overall contribution to systolic performance is low; systolic function in apical hypertrophy is maintained by a compensatory increase in regional wall motion of the basal and midzonal part of the left ventricular free wall. There is no striking difference between apical hypertrophy with and without giant negative T waves with respect to the ejection pattern. Within these subgroups, the only difference was the greater left ventricular mass in patients with giant T wave inversion. Thus, the ejection dynamics in apical hypertrophy is typical of hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy. Global parameters of systolic left ventricular performance revealed supernormal values even though systolic function is impaired. Segmental analysis of ejection phase was most sensitive in establishing the diagnosis.