[Conventional echocardiography in the differential diagnosis between rupture of the ventricular septum and mitral regurgitation complicating myocardial infarction (author's transl)]. / L'ecocardiografia convenzionale nella diagnosi differenziale fra rottura del setto ventricolare e insufficienza mitralica complicanti l'infarto miocardico.

In three patients with myocardial infarction complicated by rupture of the ventricular septum the AA. looked for characteristic echocardiographic signs, to be used in a differential diagnosis with mitralic insufficiency from the dysfunction of the papillary muscles. The partial disagreement between the facts ascertained (slight increase in the dimensions of the left atrium, inconstant behaviour of the dimension of the right ventricle), and those observed by other authors can be explained considering the multiplicity of the pathophysiological moments capable of influencing the echocardiographical picture: from the location and extension of the myocardial necrosis to the entity of the left-right shunt, from the coexistance of a hypertensive cardiomyopathy or of a pregressive myocardial infarction to the modalities of intraventricular diffusion of the electric stimulus, from the type of treatment (cardioactive supportive) to the time intervals between myocardial infaction -- rupture of the septum -- echocardiographic examination. The AA. conclude that M-mode echocardiodiography is not very helpful to the physician who must interpret a systolic murmur from punctal and/or mesocardial regurgitation in a subject with myocardial infarction.