Evaluation of biventricular interaction in various cardiac diseases by pulsed Doppler echocardiography.

We evaluated the biventricular interaction in various cardiac diseases by pulsed Doppler echocardiography. A/R (atrial peak filling velocity/rapid peak filling velocity) from inflow wave and PEP/ET (pre-ejection period/ejection time) from outflow wave were measured as parameters of both ventricular function. In 20 normal cases, A/R and PEP/ET correlated well between the right and left ventricles, respectively. In 6 cases with pulmonary hypertension, both values of A/R and PEP/ET were higher than those in normal cases in the right ventricle, but not in the left ventricle. In 15 cases with left ventricular infarction, these values were higher than those in normal cases. Not only in the left ventricle but also in the right ventricle, and good correlation between both ventricles was observed in each parameter. In 15 cases with hypertrophic nonobstructive cardiomyopathy and 15 cases with dilated cardiomyopathy, both values of A/R and PEP/ET in the both ventricles were also higher than those in normal cases, respectively, however, both parameters did not correlate with the both ventricles. It is suggested that the right ventricular function is influenced not only by the afterload or interventricular septal function, but also by the myocardial property of the right ventricle itself, in cases with cardiomyopathies.