[Mechanism of the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve and site of the intraventricular pressure gradient in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (author's transl)].

The mechanism of the systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve and the relationship between SAM and the intraventricular pressure gradient in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy were analyzed. The subjects were 15 cases, in which SAM was observed on the M-mode echocardiograms. Real-time two-dimensional echocardiography was performed at the time of cardiac catheterization and the measurement of left ventricular pressure was made with observing the spatial relationship between the tip of of the catheter and the surrounding intracardiac structures. There were two modes of the systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve in cases with SAM as follows: (1) The hypertrophied papillary muscle protruded into the left ventricular cavity in systole and it caused the displacement of the chordae tendineae, but also the tips of both anterior and posterior mitral leaflets were anterosuperiorly pulled up by the enlarged papillary muscles and the leaflets seemed apparently to intersect the left ventricular outflow tract (type II). These two types seem to make a continuous spectrum. Seven of the 15 cases examined exhibited type I and 8 cases exhibited type II or the intermediate condition. In the cases of type I, the pressure gradient was noted at the level of the tip of the papillary muscles. The inflow tract and the suprapapillary of the outflow tract exhibited a low pressure, while the apical cavity exhibited a high pressure. It is suggested that the enlarged papillary muscles make the ventricular cavity much more narrowly, resulting in the development of pressure gradient at their level. In the cases of type II, the pressure gradient was noted across the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets perpendicular to the outflow tract (subaortic area). The inflow tract exhibited a high pressure in contrast to that in the cases of type I. It is suggested that the anterosuperiorly pulled anterior and posterior leaflets dam up the ventricular cavity, resulting in the development of pressure gradient across them. Here, it should be emphasized that not only the anterior mitral leaflet, but also the posterior leaflet participates to yield the SAM and the intraventricular pressure gradient.