[Maximum rate of left ventricular volume change--a parameter of ventricular function (author's transl)].

Peak left ventricular ejection rate (dV/dtsyst) and peak left ventricular filling rate (dV/dtdiast) were determined from biplane cineangiographies in patients with normal left ventricular function (n = 8), pressure overload (n = 11), aortic regurgitation (n = 7), mitral regurgitation (n = 9), mitral stenosis (n = 6), hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (n = 10), congestive cardiomyopathy (n = 9) and coronary heart disease (n = 17). dV/dtsyst (normal 642 +/- 187 ml s-1) was reduced in mitral stenosis (447 +/- 77 ml s-1) and was increased significantly in aortic regurgitation (1085 +/- 162 ml s-1) and mitral regurgitation (744 +/- 232 ml s-1). dV/dtsyst/EDV was correlated linearly with ejection fraction and was reduced significantly in mitral stenosis, aortic and mitral regurgitation, congestive cardiomyopathy and coronary heart disease. Ventricles with pressure overload and coronary heart disease could be separated better from normal ventricles by dV/dstsyst/EDV than by ejection fraction. dV/dtdiast (normal 549 +/- 205 ml s-1) was decreased significantly in mitral stenosis and increased in aortic regurgitation (1141 +/- 557 ml s-1) and mitral regurgitation (946 +/- 349 ml s-1). Peak left ventricular filling rate and diastolic stiffness were correlated by a hyperbolic function. The results show that peak left ventricular ejection and filling rates allow a more detailed analysis of ventricular function than the usually applied parameters. Quantification of the factors which determine the rate of change of left ventricular volume was only partially possible.