[Frequency, localization and extent of local wall function disorders of the left ventricle in patients with rheumatic...

In 59 patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease, local wall motion was assessed by analysing the diastolic and systolic left ventricular silhouette from biplane angiograms with a quantitative radial axes model using 90 radii in each projection. The left ventricle was dissected into 4 segments in the RAO and 2 segments in the LAO projection and a mean radii shortening for each segment was calculated. 27 patients had pure severe mitral stenosis (MS), 10 patients mitral insufficiency (MI) and 22 patients combined mitral valve disease (MSMI). A mean radii shortening less than 25% was diagnosed as wall motion abnormality. In 78% of all patients wall motion abnormalities could be detected in at least one segment. 32% of patients with MS, 27% of patients with MI and 33% of patients with MSMI had wall motion abnormality of the anteroapical wall. In only 8% of patients with MS and in no patients with MI and MSMI was the posterobasal segment disturbed. The anterobasal and diaphragmal wall motion showed wall motion abnormality in 16% and the septal and the posterolateral area in 17% of all patients. 78% of all patients had at least one diseased segment; motion abnormalities of the anteroapical wall (seg. 2) occurred most often whereas the posterobasal area (seg. 4) was diseased in only 4% of all patients. Ejection fraction was severely impaired (less than 55%) in 7 patients only (5 of these patients had MS) with wall motion abnormalities in more than 4 segments. There was no correlation between the extent of valve disease and occurrence and extent of wall motion abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)