[Doppler echocardiography in endomyocardial fibrosis]

Twelve patients with endomyocardial fibrosis with angiographic and/or histologic corroboration were studied with Doppler echocardiography with the purpose of describing the echocardiographic features and identify the affected sites. The average age was 41 years (range 16 to 59 years), 2 men and 10 women. Three patients (25%) had isolated right ventricular involvement, one patient (8%) left ventricular, 8 patients (66%) both ventricular. Our Doppler echocardiographic findings were: right atrium enlargement (91%), right ventricle outflow dilatation (83%), paradoxical septal motion (83%), left atrial enlargement (33%), mitral and tricuspid valve prolapse (50%), pericardial effusion (41%), mitral regurgitation (75%), tricuspid regurgitation (100%), apex obliteration (50%) and a restrictive type flow pattern (50%). Doppler echocardiography is a useful method for the diagnosis of endomyocardial fibrosis, the finding of normal or small ventricles associated with apex obliteration and enlarged atria, mitral or tricuspid regurgitation and a restrictive type flow pattern are characteristics of this disease. In our population, the isolated or predominantely right ventricular involvement is the most common finding as it represented 83% of the cases.