[Analysis of left ventricular blood flow in cases of myocardial infarction: a preliminary report].

Analysis of left ventricular blood flow in cases of myocardial infarction was attempted by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. Subjects consisted of 25 cases of myocardial infarction with and without ventricular aneurysm, and 15 healthy persons as controls. The Doppler recordings were made in nine areas within the left ventricular cavity from the apical approach. For healthy subjects, ejection flows were recorded in the main cavity and directed towards the aortic orifice in systole, and diastolic flows in the left ventricular inflow were recorded from the mitral orifice to the apex. However, diastolic flows toward the aortic orifice were also recorded along the interventricular septum, and interpreted as eddy currents from the apical cavity. There were no high velocity flows in the phases of isometric contraction and relaxation. In seven of 25 cases of myocardial infarction, abnormally high velocity flows of more than 30 cm/sec were recorded in the isometric relaxation phase, which were directed away from the asynergic part. In eight of the 25 patients examined, high velocity flows toward the cardiac apex were recorded at the posteroapical area in systole. Such flows have never been observed in healthy subjects. Inertia of the diastolic mitral inflow is considered to continue during systole due to impairment of contractions of the apicoinferior wall.