Echocardiographic diagnosis of mitral regurgitation in congestive cardiomyopathy.

Eighteen patients with congestive cardiomyopathy were studied by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Patients with coronary disease on angiography or primary valvular disease were excluded. Six patients showed mild or no mitral regurgitation; in 12 others the degree of mitral regurgitation was moderate or severe. The echocardiographic features in these patients were: (1) a dilated left ventricle (LV), (2) normal LV wall thickness, (3) reduced LV posterior wall motion, and (4) reduced or absent systolic thickening of the interventricular septum (IVS). IVS motion was reduced in 10 patients, and appeared "normal" or increased in another eight, all of whom showed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation on angiography. It is concluded that an apparent normal or increased motion of the IVS with reduced or absent systolic thickening in congestive cardiomyopathy is evidence for coexistence of significant mitral regurgitation. Reduced or absent systolic thickening can distinguish these patients from those with segmental myocardial disease and normal septa or dilated LV's due to volume overload.