Ventriculographic-echocardiographic correlation in patients with asynergy

The ability of echocardiography to detect segmental ventricular asynergy was evaluated in 41 patients before cardiac catheterization. Of 24 normal posterior wall segments by echocardiography, 23 were also normal by ventriculography, while one was hypokinetic. Of 17 asynergic posterior wall segments by echocardiography, 15 were asynergic and two were normal by ventriculography. Posterior wall excursion for the normal group was 1.30 +/- 0.18 cm (SD), while those demonstrating hypokinesis on ventriculography showed an excursion of 1.05 +/- 0.19 cm (P less than .005), and akinetic segments showed an excursion of 0.97 +/- 0.13 cm (P less than .005). In 15 patients, septal motion as determined by echocardiography was compared with the left anterior oblique ventriculogram. Of nine normal septal motions by echocardiography, seven were also normal by left anterior ventriculography (septal excursion, 0.84 +/- 0.25 cm). Of six patients with decreased echocardiographic septal motion, four were normal and two were abnormal by ventriculography. Although normal echocardiographic septal motion correlated well with ventriculography, decreased septal excursion by echocardiography did not.