[Echocardiographic, angiographic and hemodynamic development of surgically treated endomyocardial fibrosis]

The echocardiographic, angiographic and haemodynamic evolution of endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF) was assessed in 19 patients: 8 patients with isolated right sided EMF, 3 with predominantly right-sided EMF, and 8 with isolated left sided EMF with mitral regurgitation. Echocardiographic controls were preformed in 16 patients, on average 11.3 months after surgery; angiographic and haemodynamic controls were preformed in 14 patients, on average 14 months after surgery. In isolated or predominantly right-sided EMF, echocardiographic abnormalities of septal motion (paradoxal) disappeared. Although the volume of the right heart chambers decreased, they remained dilated. The syndrome of adiastole disappeared in patients operated early. In left EMF with mitral regurgitation, the M-shaped motion of the septum regressed in the 4 cases in which this abnormality was observed preoperatively. The size of the left heart chambers decreased on post-operative echo and angiographic studies. Left ventricular function returned to normal after surgery. The author underline the differences between right and left-sided EMF with mitral regurgitation. In right-sided EMF the evolution is that of adiastole and surgery should be preformed early because the right ventricular reserve is small. In left-sided EMF with mitral regurgitation, the evolution is that of a valvular lesion with a good postoperative result.