[Segmental analysis of the movement of the posterior mitral valve in mitral stenosis]. / Análisis segmentario del movimiento de la valva posterior de la mitral en la estenosis mitral.

We have analyzed independently, both, early diastolic and end diastolic (A wave) movements of the posterior mitral leaflet in 302 cases of mitral stenosis with sinus rhythm, as well as in a control group of 100 subjects without mitral stenosis. Studied patients were separated into two groups: 275 that were not treated surgically, and 27 studied after mitral commisurotomy. We described 4 patterns of posterior mitral leaflet early diastolic movement, and 3 patterns of A wave motion. Only those patterns that showed anterior drift of the studied segment of the posterior mitral leaflet, were considered diagnostic of mitral stenosis. The sensitivity found was 49% for the anterior early diastolic movement; 89,5% for the anterior A wave, and 95,3% for both signs considered together. The specificity was 99% for anterior A wave, with a predictive value of 99,6%. When surgical and non surgical groups were compared, the absence of anterior drift in early diastole in the former group, showed to have statistical significance when the Chi square test was employed, while A wave pattern (anterior drift) did not show any difference between both groups. It is concluded that the most sensitive and specific sign for M-mode echocardiagraphic diagnosis of mitral stenosis in patients with sinus rhythm is the anterior drift of posterior mitral leaflet's A wave.

Segmental right ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction: two-dimensional echocardiographic study in 63 patients.

Right ventricular (RV) segmental contraction was studied in 63 patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), using 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography. Group A included 32 patients with ischemic RV dysfunction: 19 had a disproportionate increase in right atrial pressure at the time of the examination (Group AI) and in 13 patients, right atrial pressure was normal when the echocardiogram was obtained (Group AII). Group B included 31 patients without ischemic RV dysfunction. Alkinesia or dyskinesia of the RV wall was found in 30 patients: 19 from Group AI, 8 from Group AII, and 3 from Group B. Asynergy could be identified in all segments of the RV wall including the outflow tract, RV apex, and anterior wall, but was more frequently found in the posterior wall (29 patients), best seen in the transversal subcostal short-axis view. A significant difference was found either in the frequency of wall motion abnormalities or in the number of segments with asynergy among the 3 groups (p less than 0.001). However, asynergy of the RV wall may be present in some patients with normal right heart hemodynamic function, suggesting that asynergy may be more sensitive than hemodynamic function in the diagnosis of acute RV infarction. Paradoxical septal motion was found in 8 patients, all in Group AI, and all had a right atrial pressure equal to or greater than pulmonary capillary pressure.