Regional variation of left ventricular transit time in normal ventricles and those with abnormalities of contraction

Thirty-three subjects were studied by first pass radionuclide angiography. The extrapolated monoexponential tracer washout slopes from septal, lateral, and apical segments of the left ventricle were measured. In 13 subjects with normal left ventricles, as assessed by ejection fraction estimation and phase analysis, there was no difference between septal and lateral segments but, in each case, apical washout was significantly prolonged. In 20 subjects with abnormal ventricles washouts were, in general, slower than those of the normal ventricles. Apical washout was still the slowest but the difference between base and apex was less pronounced. In contrast to the normal ventricles, differences appeared between septal and lateral segments. The left ventricle is a poor mixing chamber. Pools of relative stasis exist at the apex of both normal and abnormal ventricles and within the body of the chamber in the latter.