[Correlation between left ventricular wall thickness and the depth of negative T waves in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Electrocardiographic features of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are high QRS voltage and giant negative T waves greater than 10 mm in left precordial leads. We analyzed thirty patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy to clarify the correlation between left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and the depth of negative T waves. LV anterior wall thickness was measured by the left ventriculogram (LVG) in the RAO projection. LV posterior wall and septal thickness were measured by echocardiograms recorded from the left sternal border. THA and THM were defined as apical thickness and mid ventricular wall thickness, respectively. The results were as follows: LVG disclosed that the depth of negative T waves in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was significantly related to the absolute thickness of apical segment itself rather than the difference in the distribution of thickness from the basal to apical segment of the left ventricle. This results support the clinical observation that giant negative T waves in some cases are associated with diffuse hypertrophy of the LV without a spade like configuration in LVG. Results of the echocardiographic analysis, however, revealed that the depth of negative T waves had no relation to the distribution of left ventricular hypertrophy. This is partly because of unsatisfied and difficult recordings and measurements of the true LV apical segment by echocardiography. The presence of both high QRS voltage and giant negative T waves is indispensable for the diagnosis of apical hypertrophy.