[Importance of myocardial function in the clinical course of patients with rheumatic valvular heart disease (author's transl)]. / Importancia de la función miocárdica en la evolución de la valvulopatía reumática.

Data obtained from cardiac catheterism have been compared to early postoperative and long-term surgical results in a group of patients with chronic valvular heart disease operated on during a 3-year period. Drawn conclusions, although of limited value due to the small number of patients and the short time of follow-up, pointed toward a negative influence upon the clinical course of patients either with aortic regurgitation or double aortic valvulopathy, when the ejection fraction and the speed of circumferential shortening were markedly decreased.