Regional left ventricular systolic function evaluated by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography in patients with myocardial infarction

Objective To determine the use of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography(RT-3DE)in evaluation of the regional left ventricular systolic function in patients with myocardial infarction.Methods Two-dimensional echocardiography(2DE),RT-3DE were performed in 24 normal subjects,8 patients with anterior myocardial infarction and 9 patients with inferior myocardial infarction.Seventeen segmental volume-time cures,regional ejection fractions(REF)and regional-global ejection fractions(R-GEF)were obtained by Qlab software.Percent systolic wall thickening(T%)was measured in 2DE.Data for test-retest variability were obtained.Results Compared with normal subjects,patients' REF and R-GEF increased in the zones with infarction.REF and R-GEF of the two myocardial infarction groups had partly difference.REF had close correlation with T%(r=0.76,P0.01).Observer variability was acceptable,and repeatability of the method was excellent.Conclusion RT-3DE can objectively evaluate left ventricular regional systolic function in patients with myocardial infarction.