Evaluation of left ventricular performance in aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation from the stroke work/left ventricular mass ratio.

Evaluation of left ventricular performance in aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation and mitral regurgitation from the stroke work/left ventricular mass ratio. Europ. J. Cardiol., 10/4, 279--294. 132 patients with a pure valvular dysfunction affecting a single orifice, namely aortic stenosis, aortic or mitral regurgitation, were studied. All patients, including 20 control subjects, underwent hemodynamic examination of both right and left heart chambers including left cineangiography. Using the stroke work index/myocardial mass ratio (SWI/MLV), for which the limits in normal subjects are narrow (0.81 +/- 0.03 . g-1) it was possible to divide these patients into three groups: Group I (SWI/MLV greater than 0.87 gm . g-1) characterized by a proportionately greater increase in stroke work index than myocardial mass (hyperfunctioning ventricle). Group II (0.87 gm . g-1 greater than or equal to SWI/MLV greater than or equal to 0.75 gm . g-1) characterized by a parallel increase in stroke work index and myocardial mass (normally functioning ventricle). Group III (SWI/MLV less than 0.75 gm . g-1) for which the increase in myocardial mass was proportionately greater than that of the stroke work index (hypofunctioning ventricle). As one progresses from group I to III, there is a concomitant fall in ventricular function with decreased mean velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (VCF), ejection fraction (EF) and increased enddiastolic volume (EDV) together with the hypertrophy of the left ventricle during the last stage. We conclude that the SWI/MLV ratio is an easy to calculate index, independent of the unerlying dysfunction, which evaluates left ventricular function by taking into account the myocardial mass.