Apex two dimensional echocardiography. Alternative approach to quantification of acute myocardial infarction.

C A Visser, G Kan, K I Lie, A E Becker, D Durrer

Apex echocardiography has been chosen as an approach to detect and quantify acute myocardial infarction because the usual parasternal acoustic windows are often occluded. Fifty-three patients were studied, all within 12 hours after the onset of symptoms of their first myocardial infarction. Three apical long axis views were obtained, that is the two and four chamber views, and the right anterior oblique equivalent or three chamber view. Satisfactory echocardiograms were obtained in 48 patients (91%). The individual apical views were divided into equal segments and the area of asynergy was estimated in each view. Left ventricular asynergy was present in all 48 patients. In 46 patients a positive correlation between the electrocardiogram and the echocardiogram was obtained, as far as infarct localisation was concerned. The estimated asynergic area correlated well with the peak value of the isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK MB). Apex echocardiography is a reliable alternative method of detecting and quantifying myocardial infarction soon after the onset of symptoms.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Urheim, S., Edvardsen, T., Torp, H., Angelsen, B., Smiseth, O. A. (2000). Myocardial Strain by Doppler Echocardiography : Validation of a New Method to Quantify Regional Myocardial Function. Circulation 102: 1158-1164 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Garot, J., Derumeaux, G.A., Monin, J.L., Duval-Moulin, A.M., Simon, M., Pascal, D., Castaigne, A., Dubois-Rande, J.L., Diebold, B., Gueret, P. (1999). Quantitative systolic and diastolic transmyocardial velocity gradients assessed by M-mode colour Doppler tissue imaging as reliable indicators of regional left ventricular function after acute myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J 20: 593-603 [Abstract]