[Exercise echocardiography: relationship between interventricular septal wall dynamics and electrocardiographic...

The relationship between interventricular septal (IVS) wall motion assessed by the echocardiogram and surface electrocardiogram was investigated in 11 patients (pts) with proximal left anterior descending coronary artery disease (LADd) during ergometer exercise. A specially devises transducer was used to obtain the echocardiograms. During exercise, 6 pts had transient ST segment depression (Group 1), whereas 5 pts had transient ST segment elevation (Group 2). During exercise-induced ischemia, the ST segment depression occurred prior to abnormal wall motion in Group 1, and lasted longer than the latter. On the other hand, the ST segment elevation was preceded by abnormal wall motion in Group 2, and returned to the control earlier than the latter. In conclusion, exercise echocardiography is useful to assess the relationship between interventricular wall dynamics and electrocardiographic changes during ischemia.