Changes in left ventricular inflow and pulmonary venous flow velocities during preload alteration in dilated heart.

The aim of the present study was to assess the changes of left ventricular inflow (LVIF) and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocities during preload alteration in 30 patients with dilated heart (LV end-diastolic dimension > or = 6.0 cm) and impaired LV systolic function (% fractional shortening of the LV < or = 25%). We performed transesophageal pulsed Doppler echocardiography during lower body negative (LBNP, -40 mmHg) and positive pressure (LBPP, +40 mmHg) in 10 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, in 20 with old myocardial infarction, and in 22 healthy controls.

Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic hemodynamics from the left ventricular inflow and pulmonary venous flow velocities in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We evaluated the characteristics of left ventricular diastolic hemodynamics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) by measuring left ventricular inflow (LVIF) and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) velocities in 62 patients with asymmetric septal hypertrophy and 34 normal controls. The patients were divided into four groups according to the LVIF pattern and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP): 1) the pseudonormalization group; 13 patients with the ratio of peak atrial systolic (A) to early diastolic (E) LVIF velocity (A/E) < or = 1 and LVEDP > or = 15 mm Hg, 2) the normal pattern group; 10 patients with the A/E < or = 1 and LVEDP < 15 mm Hg, 3) the relaxation failure group; 25 patients with the A/E > 1, and 4) the mid-diastolic wave group; 14 patients with a mid-diastolic wave. The peak early diastolic LVIF velocities in the pseudonormalization, relaxation failure and mid-diastolic wave groups were significantly smaller than in the control group.

[Changes in left ventricular inflow and pulmonary venous flow patterns during preload alteration in dilated heart].

Changes in left ventricular inflow (LVIF) and pulmonary venous flow (PVF) patterns during preload alteration were assessed in 30 patients with dilated heart, including 10 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and 20 with old myocardial infarction. Transesophageal Doppler echocardiography was performed during lower body negative (LBNP, -40 mmHg) and positive pressure (LBPP, +40 mmHg) in all 30 patients and 20 normal controls. Eight of the 30 patients showed the "pseudonormalization (PN)" pattern, and 22 showed the "decreased early diastolic wave (E) and compensatorily increased atrial contraction wave (A) (N-PN)" pattern of LVIF in the control state.

[One family having 5 members with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with similar pattern of left ventricular inflow and distribution of hypertrophy].

We examined, in one family, 5 cases of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with a similar pattern of left ventricular inflow (LVIF) and distribution of hypertrophy. Its clinical background and significance were discussed. Because a variety of morphologic expressions of HCM may be observed in the same family, distribution of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) varies in even first-degree relatives of the family.