Abnormal coronary flow velocity pattern in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, angina pectoris, and normal coronary arteries: a transesophageal Doppler echocardiographic study.

Previous invasive studies have suggested that coronary flow reserve is impaired in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and symptoms of ischemia. We tested whether transesophageal Doppler, a semiinvasive technique, can detect altered characteristics of baseline coronary blood flow velocity in such patients. Thirty patients with LVH (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 4, aortic stenosis in 17, hypertension in 9) were studied.