[Relation of mitral valve motion to left ventricular end-diastolic pressure assessed by M-mode echocardiography]

Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was estimated noninvasively using cardiac parameters obtained from simultaneous recordings of the echocardiograms, electrocardiograms and phonocardiograms in 30 patients who underwent diagnostic left cardiac catheterization. Special attention was paid to the mitral valve motion which reflects global left ventricular function. The interval from the onset of the Q wave of the ECG to the echocardiographic C point of mitral valve closure (Q-C), the interval from the aortic component of the second heart sound to the E point of the mitral echogram (IIa-E), and the time from the opening of the mitral valve (D point) to the E point (D-E) were measured. A good correlation with LVEDP was observed with Q-C/IIa-E (r = 0.87, p less than 0.001), and inversely with D-E time (r = -0.81, p less than 0.001). The correlation of Q-C/D-E and LVEDP was most significant (r = 0.89, p less than 0.001). The regression equations were LVEDP = 36.6 X (Q-C/IIa-E) -10.9 and LVEDP = 4.49 X (Q-C/D-E) +5.56. This noninvasive and easily repeated method for predicting LVEDP is very useful clinically.