[Left ventricular function during symptomatic and asymptomatic myocardial ischemia]

Transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) causes transient occlusion of the coronary artery and temporary ischemia of the left ventricle. Left ventricular dysfunction during silent and symptomatic episodes of myocardial ischemia during PTCA was evaluated continuously with a newly developed miniature, non-imaging scintillation probe. Parameters of left ventricular function were compared before and during balloon inflations of 60 s duration: ejection fraction (EF), indices of end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes (ESV, EDV), peak ejection and peak filling rates (PER, PFR). 13 patients (age 54 +/- 7.4 years) were symptomatic, 10 patients (age 61 +/- 8 years) were asymptomatic. Impairment of left ventricular function during ischemia did not show any significant differences between the symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. It is therefore concluded that symptomatic and asymptomatic episodes of myocardial ischemia during PTCA cause similar impairment of systolic and diastolic left ventricular function. The degree of left ventricular dysfunction during PTCA cannot be estimated on the basis of clinical symptoms.