Relationships between single-vessel coronary artery obstructions and wall motion dysfunction analyzed by four computer-based methods.

We analyzed regional wall motion in 238 patients by using cineangiograms recorded in the 30 degrees right anterior oblique projection. The sample was divided into three groups: a normal group (n = 71), a group with isolated obstruction of the left anterior descending coronary artery and previous anterior myocardial infarction (n = 85), and a group with isolated obstruction of the right coronary artery and previous inferior myocardial infarction (n = 82). Both anterior and inferior groups also had motion abnormality within the corresponding anterior or inferior wall as judged by the qualitative analysis of cineangiograms. Four quantitative methods were compared: a long axis method and a center of mass method using internal reference systems, a method derived from the Stanford model and an area-based method using external reference systems. Normal regional values were determined from the normal group to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the methods. The area-based method was the most sensitive in the anterior infarction group, whereas the center of mass method was the most sensitive in the inferior infarction group. We conclude that there is no evidence that any method, among those tested, is superior to others for every expected location of wall motion abnormality.