Inhospital prognosis of patients with their first transmural or subendocardial infarction and comparison of their coronary arteriogram and ventriculogram.

The inhospital clinical course and early prognosis were studied prospectively in 500 patients who suffered their first transmural or subendocardial myocardial infarction, and were admitted in the coronary care unit of our hospital over the last four years. The coronary arteriogram and left ventriculogram of 300 patients out of the 500 was also compared. 434 patients developed transmural and 66 subendocardial infarction, as judged by electrocardiographic criteria. Both groups of patients had the same range of sex, age, coronary risk factors and history of previous angina. There was no statistical difference in in-hospital prognosis and early clinical course. There was no difference in prevalence of single, double or triple vessel coronary artery disease. The hemodynamic parameters (ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure), as well as the number of hypokinetic, akinetic or dyskinetic segments did not show any significant statistical difference between the two categories of patients. The same extent of coronary artery lesions and degree of left ventricular dysfunction may explain the similarity of early clinical course. 12% of patients who were admitted with subendocardial infarction developed transmural infarction during their hospitalization.