Noninvasive findings in patients with hypertrophic and dilative cardiomyopathy: a combined echocardiographic and radionuclide angiographic study.

Fifteen patients with hypertrophic (HCM) and 15 with dilative cardiomyopathy (DCM) were examined with radionuclide angiography and M-mode echocardiography to evaluate the combination of two noninvasive methods for measuring left ventricular performance. The patients with HCM had delayed myocardial relaxation and rapid filling time with preserved peak rate of early ventricular filling. DCM patients, on the contrary, had low values of left ventricular systolic performance and low peak filling rate. Myocardial relaxation and rapid filling time, however, were short, indicating compensatory mechanisms in the failing ventricle improving rapid filling.