Left ventricular mass by M-mode echocardiography in cardiac transplant patients with acute rejection.

Serial determination of left ventricular mass, right ventricular and left atrial size, fractional shortening and left ventricular systolic time intervals were made from M-mode echocardiograms in 13 long-term survivors with cardiac allografts These measurements were correlated with presence or absence of acute rejection as determined by myocardial biopsy. Left ventricular mass increased significantly, from a baseline of 129.8 +/- 11.8 (mean +/- SEM) to 310.5 +/- 13.0 g during 12 episodes of rejection. In contrast during eight episodes without rejection, the left ventricular mass did not increase significantly (baseline 175.2 +/- 11.8 to 211.9 +/- 25.6 g). There was no relationship between changes in right ventricular and left atrial size, fractional shortening or systolic time intervals and presence or absence of rejection of myocardial biopsy. An increase in left ventricular mass by M-mode echocardiography offers a reliable noninvasive method for detection of acute rejection of a cardiac allograft.