[Pharmacological tests in the polycardiography of valve defects]

Pharmacological tests are often indispensable in non-invasive polycardiographic diagnosis. Their advantages include easy execution, repeatability, and the absence of significant side-effects. Amyl nitrate, angiotensin and isoproterenol are most commonly employed for this purpose. Cases in which such tests enabled a correct evaluation of valve disease, congenital heart disease, and malfunction of a valve prosthesis to be made are presented.