Single moving dipole obtained from magnetic field of the heart in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy.

Magnetocardiograms (MCGs) were recorded by means of a second-derivative SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometer in 20 normal subjects and 28 patients with left ventricular overload to analyze the activation sequence of the heart and amplitude of estimated current source. In the normal subjects, the dipole was directed to the left and gradually superiorly 40 ms after the beginning of the QRS wave mainly due to the activation of the left ventricle. In the patients with hypertension, the direction and location of the dipoles were similar to those of the normal subjects, but their dipole moments were increased. In the patients with mitral regurgitation, the dipoles of late QRS were directed more inferiorly than in the normal subjects and their amplitude was increased. In the patients with aortic valve disease, the amplitude of the dipoles was increased markedly and their location was deviated more to the left than the dipoles of the normal subjects. We established the criterion for diagnosis of LVO from the dipole moment of 50 ms of 3.13 x 10(-3) A or more. The sensitivity of this criterion is significantly higher in the diagnosis of left ventricular overload than the electrocardiogram (ECG). The present study shows that the moving dipole method is useful to determine the increased electromotive force in patients with left ventricular overload and that sensitivity in diagnosis of left ventricular overload is increased.